They only told him it would take time for his brain to heal, and they weren't sure how much would come back, or how long it would take. Maybe 18 months. And all he could do was wait. Mr. Hoge's case was extreme, doctors say. Dr. Ian Armstrong, a California neurosurgeon who specializes in athletes' injuries, said some athletes may simply be more susceptible to concussions because of genetics.
Some people take a blow to the head and walk away.
Another takes a tap, and he's out. Most people susceptible to concussions are weeded out some time in the athletic process, Dr. Armstrong said. The estimated hundred or so NFL players who sustain concussions each season generally are treated by guidelines set up by the American Academy of Neurology. In Grade 1 and 2, the victims never lose consciousness, and in Grade 1, the symptoms are resolved in 15 minutes or less. Danger signs Symptoms of a concussion, according to the academy, are a vacant stare, delayed verbal and motor responses, confusion, inability to focus, disorientation, slurred or incoherent speech, clumsiness, emotions out of proportion to circumstances and memory loss.