Dr. Osman Ahmed : Para Sport and Concussion: What's Changing and what's on the Horizon?

Dr. Karen Litzy speaks with Dr. Osman Ahmed about how concussion care has evolved for paraathletes, why standard tools often fall short, and what the new ParaScat 6 tools aim to fix. They also discuss the Concussion in Parasport Group, the importance of athlete input in research, and why clinicians should think differently about baseline function in athletes with impairments.

Key Topics

·       In this episode, Dr. Osman Ahmed explains what paraathletes are and why the term matters when discussing concussion care.

·       We discuss why paraathletes were historically left out of concussion research and how that gap reflected broader patterns in sports medicine.

·       Osman breaks down why standard tools like the SCAT can be difficult to apply to athletes with amputations, visual impairments, spinal cord injuries, or wheelchair use.

·       He shares how baseline symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches, or light sensitivity can be normal for some paraathletes and should not be assumed to indicate concussion without context.

·       We talk about the creation of the Concussion in Parasport Group and the first position statement that helped guide clinicians on assessment, management, and return to play.

·       Osman describes how the position statement used a practical color coding approach for tests:

o   green for appropriate

o   yellow for use with caution or modification

o   red for not appropriate

·       We discuss the research and clinical gaps that led to the development of ParaScat 6 tools for wheelchair users and athletes with visual impairment.