As a doctoral student at the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology and its Concussion Center, Allyssa Memmini identified a major gap in concussion management for an often-overlooked population: university performing arts students.
“There is a disconnect,” said Kristen Schuyten, a longtime collaborator and Performing Arts Rehabilitation Program Coordinator at Michigan Medicine. “We have young children receiving concussion education for recreational sports, yet nothing systematically in place for dancers or drama students performing stunts or lifting heavy equipment.”
While student athletes benefit from NCAA-enforced return-to-sport (RTS) protocols and medical guidance, performing arts students are often left to navigate recovery alone. This includes deciding when to return to class and performances, which are frequently tied to their academic progress and even scholarships.
“Their ability to participate in their academics is directly tied to their ability to be physically and cognitively healthy,” Schuyten explained. “And if you have something like a concussion that affects multiple body systems, they may not be able to engage in many facets of their education.”
Recognizing the urgency, Schuyten suggested expanding Memmini’s work into a return-to-performance (RTP) protocol for performing arts students. Now a faculty member at the University of New Mexico, Memmini is spearheading a grant-funded Delphi study to build consensus on best practices for RTP.
“Allyssa was one of the first to identify and address the needs of students and performers to get back to the classroom and studio,” said Steven Broglio, director of the Michigan Concussion Center. “It’s been incredible to watch the national and international adoption of her protocols.”
Together, Memmini, Schuyten, and their collaborators are working to establish a new standard in concussion recovery—one that finally includes performing artists. Read the full story here!