At ice hockey camp two summers ago, goalie Beth Potter slammed
her head into the ice when she dived to block a shot, sustaining
a concussion with aftereffects that trouble her to this day.
Young athletes like Ms. Potter, now 18, are the focus of new
efforts to improve the care of concussions in children and
teens, who are more vulnerable than adults to long-term
physical, cognitive and emotional problems as a result of the
brain injury. Medical centers including Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are
offering new programs to better educate school nurses, coaches,
athletic directors, parents, and pediatricians about steps to
take to avoid repeat trauma and complications. New research is
also leading to a better understanding of concussion, which
occurs when a sudden movement or direct force to the head sets
brain tissue in motion within the skull. Studies show, for
example, that each patient may experience con