A concussion is an injury to the brain common to many sports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate there are 300,000 sports concussions among children and adolescents in the United States each year.

According to Mark Lovell, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, a concussion, once considered a relatively benign condition, is now recognized as a critical medical issue with potentially permanent consequences.

Use of Baseline Testing by Athletes
Neuropsychological testing has proven to be an effective way to obtain useful data regarding the short- and long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury. Pre-season baseline evaluation is beneficial for several reasons:

• Athletes vary with respect to how they perform on tests of memory, attention, concentration, mental processing speed and motor speed.
• When testing is only done after an injury, assessing whether any deficits detected during post-injury testing that relate to the effects of the concussion or to pre-existing factors can be difficult.
• Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders and situational factors, such as test anxiety, can affect test results. Baseline testing minimizes these factors.

Neuropsychological testing is a tool to help doctors find out when an athlete has recovered from a concussion and can safely return to sports or activity. The baseline test takes about 30 minutes and can be done through the Internet. Taking a baseline is like "giving your brain a physical" and establishes a normal level of cognitive (brain) function.

After an athlete suffers a concussion, the Texas Health Presbyterian Sports Network suggests that the athlete contact his or her physician. The physician may conduct a medical evaluation followed by a "post-concussion" ImPACT test. The follow up ImPACT test may be used by physicians to evaluate cognitive function. The ImPACT test assists physicians in evaluating and measuring brain functions, including memory, processing speed, reaction time and symptoms. Post-concussion testing is typically taken within 48 to 72 hours after the injury.

Diagnostic testing, such as an MRI or a CT scan, may be ordered to rule out structural injury to the skull or brain. In spite of the fact that these tests are usually normal, a serious concussion may still have occurred.

If an athlete has not taken the baseline test, ImPACT Inc. has developed norms that can be used to evaluate the recovery process of a concussed athlete. While these norms can be used to monitor recovery they do not replace the value of an athlete being compared to a baseline test.

The sports network is a Credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC) for the ImPACT program. This certification is obtained by fulfilling the requirements established by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Concussion Program.

Follow this link to register for and take the ImPACT baseline test.

If you have any questions, call 214-345-5010. For a physician referral, call 1-877-THR-WELL (1-877-847-9355).

Visit impacttest.com for more information about the ImPACT Concussion Management Program.