Concussions: FIFA lanches collaborative program with Zurich researchers

The two objectives of the collaborative project between FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Footbal Association) and the researchers from University-Hospital Zurich’s neurology clinic and Zurich’s Schulthess clinic are to improve a player's medical care after a head or neck injury and detecting the first factors that determine the ideal moment for a player's return to football after a concussion. The collaborative project was launched on 12/08/2014.

"13 per cent of all injuries sustained at World Cups involve the head and neck, with roughly one in seven of those injuries resulting in concussion," said the international federation. “First and foremost, it is crucial that the condition is examined in detail and assessed appropriately within 24 hours of the event,” explained Jiri Dvorak, chief medical officer of FIFA. In the case of a mild head injury, he recommends that a player ease gradually back intro training to ensure that he can make a full return to football six days after sustaining the injury.

As part of this collaborative projects, players in the 2014-15 male and female first…