About Us
New Jersey Concussion Center (NJCC) is a team of concussion specialists who diagnose and treat patients with all levels of concussion injury. In 2010, Drs. Lori Catania and Catherine Mazzola became friends through their sons’ baseball team in New Jersey. As pediatric brain specialists, they realized the need, early-on, for a New Jersey based Concussion Center. With over 170,000 pediatric brain injuries every year, many children they knew had suffered concussions.1 Many of their friends felt that the care that their children had received was not adequate…and they didn’t know where to turn. As a result, NJ Concussion Center was created, to provide comprehensive care, education, and guidance for children and their families in New Jersey.
As a component of diagnosis, NJCC provides computerized baseline neurocognitive testing, administered and interpreted by trained and knowledgeable professionals. We are authorized ImPACT administrators and we have board-certified specialists who care for children and young adults with traumatic brain injury. We provide guaranteed timely evaluation for concussion, competent management using the current recommendations and national guidelines.
Over the past several years, concussion centers have developed in hospitals, out-patient clinics, and store-fronts across the country. Unfortunately, some have developed as a source of revenue and these centers cannot provide patients and their families with comprehensive, inter-disciplinary care that is focused on the young athlete and student. Children are not small adults, and so pediatric head trauma and concussion should not be managed by adult practitioners. Children have the best outcomes, when they are cared for by a whole team of specialists. From pediatric neurosurgeons, to pediatric neuropsychologists, to pediatric physical therapists, pediatric psychologists and more…in OUR opinion, and in the opinion of our patients, we have the BEST team in New Jersey for children.
Drs. Catherine Mazzola and Lori Catania, founders of the New Jersey Concussion Center, have over forty years of experience caring for children and adults with brain injury. They have given countless lectures and presentations to doctors, nurses, coaches and students. Drs. Mazzola and Catania have spent hours educating youngsters and athletes about the dangers of premature return to play. Supporters of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and recommendations for “Return to Play protocol”, Drs. Mazzola and Catania and their partners help guide families and educators, patients and coaches, along the steps to meaningful recovery.2
Drs. Mazzola and Catania are proud of all their well-trained staff. We are here to answer any questions that you or your coaches or teachers may have about concussion in children. Please call (973)326-9000 with any questions.
1. http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/
2. http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/return_to_play.html
What We Do:
-Concussion management
-Follow-up assessments with symptom review and exertion evaluations which are necessary for proper decisions regarding return to work, athletic competion or school.
-Concussion education and training.
-Guaranteed 72 hour consultation following any suspected concussion.
Neurological and neurosurgical assessment and clearance, along with neuropsychological and cognitive evaluation and remediation, are also provided to our patients/members.
