On 1/10/09, The Boston Globe published a news article by Fluto Shinzawa entitled, Bergeron vows he’ll be back: Bruin’s center is feeling better. The article discusses the recovery from a second concussion suffered on 12/20/08 by the professional hockey player. It was noted that his recovery from the concussion was much better compared to the first concussion a year ago, in which he lost consciousness and had numerous symptoms. Fortunately, about two weeks after the second concussion, it was reported that he was no longer be experiencing headaches and was symptom-free while exercising.

Despite the above, the article states ” But even as he fought through post-concussion syndrome this time, Bergeron knew the symptoms weren't as severe.” The MTBIFacts article on the three month time frame issue shows why the term “post concussion syndrome” should not be used less than three months post-injury. Although the article does not explicitly state this, one would assume that the author was referring to some symptoms Mr. Bergeron may have experienced the first few days to a week after injury. However, such symptoms are part of the normal recovery process and do not constitute “post concussion syndrome,” a term with no formal definition and which is generally reserved for people who continue to have symptoms for three or more months post-injury. In that light, it should also be noted that the article suggests that Mr. Bergeron is currently symptom-free. If accurate, he could not be suffering from a syndrome at this time. Nevertheless, it is hoped that Mr. Bergeron resumes his career as soon as possible and experiences the best of health.

On 1/11/09, a correction was posted to the website and an email was sent to the author of the article. A response will be awaited. Click here to return to media watch.