INS Québec, an international leader in concussion treatment
January 9, 2023
(Top row: Dr. Suzanne Leclerc et Géraldine Martens of l’INS Québec ainsi que José Azzolin of Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg
Bottom row: Aurore Thibaut from the University of Liège and Aïda Valevicius and Thomas Romeas from INS Québec, in Amsterdam for the 6th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport.)
INS QUÉBEC, AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN CONCUSSION TREATMENT
At the 6th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport, the Institut national du sport du Québec (INS Québec) showed itself to be a leader in terms of concussion assessment and treatment through research and concrete clinical interventions. Several experts from INS Québec traveled to Amsterdam on October 27th and 28th to take part in this conference to discuss concussions, share discoveries and keep up to date on best practices.
Among them, Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, Thomas Romeas, Géraldine Martens and Aïda Valevicius shared the results of their research work in the field during this meeting of experts eagerly awaited by clinicians and researchers.
Here are the four research topics presented by our representatives at this international conference:
| Research subjects | Authors |
| Monitoring concussions in high performance sports: a model of clinical practice | Thomas Romeas, Josiane Roberge, David Martin, Johnathan Deslauriers, Vanessa Bachir, Anabelle Charlebois, France Lamoureux, Suzanne Leclerc |
|
Retrospective database investigation of concussion rates in the national short track speed skating program during the Olympic quadrennial leading up to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games |
Aïda Valevicius, Thomas Romeas, François Bieuzen, David J Pearsall, Suzanne Leclerc |
| Short Track vs Hockey Helmets: Investigating Impact Attenuation Properties of Helmets in two skating sports | Aïda Valevicius, Daniel I Aponte, Suzanne Leclerc, David J Pearsall |
| Multicenter cross-sectional survey to assess the current state of knowledge and practice regarding SCCs in an international francophone consortium to adapt future educational approaches | Géraldine Martens, Jean-François Kaux, Aurore Thibaut, Axel Urhausen, Sébastien Le Garrec, Philippe Tscholl, Suzanne Leclerc |
Appropriate and multidimensional care at the INS Québec clinic
Through its Concussion Interdisciplinary Clinic, INS Québec offers high-level athletes multidimensional concussion treatment based on and informed by international best practices.
“The 6th Consensus Conference was a good opportunity to confirm that the INS Québec medical clinic follows and responds to international best practices in concussion treatment, and has even been ahead of the curve for several years in this area,” said Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, Sport Medicine Director at INS Québec.
What INS Québec offers is first a battery of pre-season tests, then follow-up tests allowing a complete medical evaluation, including a cervical, proprioceptive and vestibular evaluation conducted by a physiotherapist, a follow-up of the return to controlled physical activity by a specialized kinesiologist, a cognitive evaluation as well as a neuro-optometric and sensorimotor evaluation.
This conference updated the latest recommendations based on the scientific literature.
“It is rare to see so many concussion experts gathered and willing to discuss their findings in the collection of evidence regarding the prevention and management of this unusual syndrome. It was a privilege to have the first look at the new consensus (before its upcoming publication) and to be at the heart of the discussions regarding its update,” mentioned Géraldine Martens, post-doctoral student at INS Québec and Université de Montréal and scientific coordinator, presenting her research work on behalf of ReForm.
In order to inform and validate its clinical services in order to offer the best possible care to its athletes, INS Québec conducts numerous research activities in the medical and scientific fields. Some of this work was shared in Amsterdam with the scientific community participating in the 6th Consensus conference.
“Over the past five years, several investments have been made to better inform clinical practices and prevention in concussion management at the Institute. We are now seeing the fruits of the initial work that is being done at the Institute’s medical clinic and to see that we are conducting significant clinical interventions for patient recovery and we have an important role to play internationally in sharing this knowledge,” concluded Thomas Romeas, Lead of Research and Innovation at INS Québec.
To see a complete list of INS Québec’s research activities, click here.
