Brain Injury Australia is holding a seminar, Concussion/ Mild Traumatic Brain Injury at the University of Melbourne on March 23.

Concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function, has become an urgent public health concern, particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and due to the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions.

Thousands of Australians are hospitalised for concussion every year. For many more, their concussion will go undetected and untreated and as many as one in every five will experience ongoing physical, cognitive or behavioural changes lasting months.

The seminar will provide guidance on evidence-based best practice for the diagnosis, acute care and ongoing assessment and management of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury. It will include: developing a treatment plan for concussion; comorbidities such as neck, oculomotor, or vestibular conditions; protocols for optimum return to play and “return to learn”; the assessment and differential diagnosis of post-concussive disorders; the special consideration given to concussed women, children and adolescents; and the current knowledge about the potential long-term consequences of concussion, including neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The seminar has been designed for those with an interest in the assessment, treatment and management of concussion, including general practitioners, sports physicians, allied health professionals, coaches, trainers and family, domestic and sexual violence services.

GPs can self-report this Seminar as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Seminar speakers are AFL sport and exercise physician Dr Michael Makdissi; GP Dr Mukesh Haikerwal; Melbourne Storm chief medical officer Dr Jason Chan; Epworth Monash Rehabilitation Medicine Unit medical director, Professor John Olver; Murdoch Children’s Research Institute director, Dr Vicki Anderson and PINK Concussions founder Katherine Price Snedaker.

The seminar will be held at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Saturday March 23, from 1pm – 5pm.

For more information: Phone 1800BRAIN1 or 1800 272 461