Sports Neurology? Never Heard of Her.

While the roots of sports neurology can arguably be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman times, it wasn’t until around 2010 that the field was formally recognized as a subspecialty of neurology by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)—the largest professional organization of neurologists and neuroscience professionals worldwide. Growing concerns over the long-term effects of head injuries in sports catalyzed this recognition and spurred the development of key initiatives: the AAN Sports Neurology Section, the AAN Sports Concussion Conference (now part of the AAN Annual Meeting), and the establishment of Sports Neurology fellowship programs.

Today, fellowship-trained sports neurologists are involved in a wide range of roles, including clinical care, sports coverage (for teams, leagues, and venues), research, education, and advocacy. While concussion management remains a prominent focus, sports neurology is far more expansive than “just concussions.” The field rests on four foundational pillars:

1. Diagnosis and Treatment of Sports-Related Neurologic Injuries

These injuries can affect any part of the nervous system. Commonly managed conditions include:

• Brain: concussions/mild traumatic brain injury, persisting symptoms after concussion

• Spinal cord/spine: cervical cord neurapraxia, vertebral fractures, disc herniation

• Nerve root: radiculopathy

• Brachial plexus: burners/stingers, thoracic outlet syndrome

• Peripheral nerves: ulnar, median, peroneal, and tibial neuropathies

• Muscle: strain

2. Management of Common Neurologic Conditions in Athletes and Guidance of Safe Sport Participation

Athletes, like the general population, may experience neurologic conditions such as migraine, epilepsy, or multiple sclerosis. These diagnoses do not inherently exclude them from athletic participation—in fact, regular exercise is often beneficial for both general health and neurologic well-being. Special considerations for athletes include avoiding performance-banned medications, monitoring for treatment-related side effects, adapting to physical limitations from neurologic deficits, and preventing exacerbation of symptoms during training or competition (e.g., avoiding sleep deprivation in epilepsy or overheating in multiple sclerosis).

3. Promotion of the Neurologic Benefits of Exercise and Sport

Exercise is not only vital for physical health but also profoundly beneficial for brain health. From healthy aging to managing neurologic conditions or even reducing disease risk, the benefits of physical activity for the nervous system are wide-reaching. Quite simply, the brain thrives on movement.

4. Optimization of Neurologic Function for Peak Athletic Performance

In addition to the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, the nervous system plays a pivotal role in athletic performance. This evolving area—sometimes called “cosmetic neurology”—explores how training the brain can enhance performance through targeted work on vision, balance, reaction time, and cognitive stamina.

Sports neurology is a dynamic, rapidly evolving field that blends the science of the brain with the world of athletics. Brains and sports—what’s not to love?