Summary and agreement statement of the 2nd International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Prague 2004

This is the second agreement statement from the Concussion in Sport Group, written after a symposium in Prague in November 2004 and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2005. It revises the Vienna 2001 recommendations and is intended for doctors, therapists, other health professionals and coaches. It introduced the first Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) for sideline use.

Its main new idea was to sort concussions into simple cases that resolve without complication and complex cases with persistent symptoms, prolonged loss of consciousness or repeated injuries. It notes that simple concussion can be managed by primary care physicians or by certified athletic trainers under medical supervision, while complex cases call for physicians with specific expertise.

Management centers on rest until symptoms clear, then a graded return to play, with no return in the same game or practice. The statement extends its recommendations to children with a more conservative approach and introduces the idea of cognitive rest, and it advises against routine genetic screening and against relying on neuropsychological tests alone.