Brian Westbrook Evaluated by UPMC Physicians
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 18, 2009 – Brian Westbrook, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, was evaluated today at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center by UPMC sports concussion specialists Dr. Joseph Maroon and Dr. Michael (Micky) Collins. Dr. Maroon is a UPMC neurosurgeon and long-time team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dr. Collins is a UPMC neuropsychologist at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, who works closely with Dr. Mark Lovell, the program’s director, who also is involved in Mr. Westbrook’s care.
Mr. Westbrook sustained a cerebral concussion on October 26, 2009 while playing against the Washington Redskins. He was out for two weeks and cleared completely from his symptoms when he was re-injured on November 15, 2009 in a game against the San Diego Chargers. At that time he experienced another much milder concussion, which was not related to loss of consciousness, but associated only with dizziness and headache.
The UPMC doctors report that Mr. Westbrook’s symptoms have improved significantly over the last three days. He was re-tested today with a battery of neurocognitive tests, including ImPACT™ (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), a computerized tool that is used by all NFL teams for evaluating injury recovery. He also underwent a comprehensive physical and neurological exam, results of which were favorable.
“We are very encouraged by Brian’s progress, we believe that he has an excellent prognosis and we expect a full recovery,” reported Drs. Maroon and Collins. “We developed a comprehensive physical rehab plan for Brian, and we will repeat the detailed testing in the next two to three weeks.”
“We commend the Eagles athletic training and medical staff for their diligent and conservative care in this particular case as well as their historical excellence in managing these types of injuries,” added Dr. Lovell.
The UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program―the first and largest clinical and research program of its kind―focuses on the diagnosis, evaluation and management of sports-related concussion in athletes of all levels. The program’s internationally known team of researchers has published numerous groundbreaking research study results in major medical journals during the past several years concerning the effects of, and recovery from, sports-related concussion in high school and college athletes. These studies have had significant implications for commonly used return-to-play guidelines.