Invited address: David Maddocks
| Friday, November 8, 2019 |
| 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
| Shiraz Room A & B |
Presentation
Shiraz Room A & B
Presenter(s)
Dr David Maddocks
Partner
Perry Maddocks Trollope Lawyers
Concussion in Sport: The Australian landscape & the role of Neuropsychology
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMSummary
There has been an enormous amount of public interest over the last 15 years, concerning the potential short and long-term effects of concussion in sport.
Case studies involving post-mortem findings of neuropathology in former North American NFL players, who exhibited signs of mental health issues and psychosocial dysfunction before death, began to be reported from around 2005. Legal claims followed.
Concerns have been raised in other contact sports, including those popular in Australia such as the rugby codes and Australian Rules Football, leading to medical, legal and media attention.
Neuropsychology has and will continue to play a significant role in better understanding the possible short and long-term implications of concussion in sport and providing guidance in terms of clinical management.
Issues to be covered in this address will include: historical perspectives on concussion in sport; recent litigation; possible short and long-term effects; the contribution of neuropsychology; implications for public health and steps in response to the problem.
Case studies involving post-mortem findings of neuropathology in former North American NFL players, who exhibited signs of mental health issues and psychosocial dysfunction before death, began to be reported from around 2005. Legal claims followed.
Concerns have been raised in other contact sports, including those popular in Australia such as the rugby codes and Australian Rules Football, leading to medical, legal and media attention.
Neuropsychology has and will continue to play a significant role in better understanding the possible short and long-term implications of concussion in sport and providing guidance in terms of clinical management.
Issues to be covered in this address will include: historical perspectives on concussion in sport; recent litigation; possible short and long-term effects; the contribution of neuropsychology; implications for public health and steps in response to the problem.
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David has been a practising lawyer in Melbourne for over 20 years, working primarily in medical law. He graduated in Law with Honours in 1996 and won the Supreme Court Exhibition Prize for his Honours Thesis on serious injury claims in Victoria. He is a Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialist in personal injury and is a member of the LIV Sports Law Committee.
Prior to practise in law, David qualified as a neuropsychologist under Dr Kevin Walsh and Professor Michael Saling. He completed a Ph.D. in 1996, investigating the cognitive effects and recovery after concussion in Australian Rules footballers. Aspects of his research have been adopted by international sporting organisations including the IOC, NFL, FIFA, AFL and Cricket Australia. He is a co-author of International Consensus Statements on Concussion in Sport.
David remains active in clinical research and is presently conducting follow-up studies of AFL footballers he first tested 30 years ago.
