From the NFL to youth soccer, concussions are being diagnosed more frequently with the use and availability of concussion testing systems. That being said, there is one key test that is very important to any athlete, the baseline test. Having the information from a baseline concussion test will not only aid in the diagnosis of a concussion but will also show the proper and safest time for return to play. The baseline testing should be done before the season, when the athlete has not had any exposure to training and competition. With baseline testing, the athlete will have an individualized neurocognitive assessment that can be used as a comparison when a concussion has occurred. Without the baseline test, the results of a post-concussion test will be compared to the general population, which could skew results allowing an athlete to return to play sooner then they should.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion can be immediately apparent or can be subtle. Immediate symptoms of a concussion include: headache, nausea, confusion, amnesia, dizziness, ringing in the ears, slurred speech and/or loss of consciousness. Signs of a concussion may not appear right away and may take hours to days to show just how bad it really is. Along with the symptoms above, these are some symptoms that may become present after the injury: trouble concentrating, personality changes, sensitivity to light and/or trouble sleeping. Having the personalized baseline test will quantitative data on when the athlete should return to play. Return to play with a concussion is dangerous and could result in Second Impact Syndrome. Second Impact Syndrome is when someone experiences a second concussion before the signs and symptoms of the first concussion resolve. This may result in a rapid and usually fatal swelling in the brain. The baseline testing in the first step in educating our athletes about concussions and how aware they should be of the signs and symptoms of them.
The concussion testing tool we use a PSSM is the ImPACT test. ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a widely used pre and post concussion testing tool. ImPACT is the most studied and researched post-concussion tests, with the data of more than 75,000 tests, it shows the reliability of ImPACT. The test is a computerized concussion evaluation system that measures reaction time, memory capacity, speed of mental processing and overall function of the brain. The ImPACT test takes about 30-45 to complete and can be done individually or as a group.
PSSM has a trained staff of doctors and certified athletic trainers that will administer and analyze ImPACT tests. With the baseline test, the doctors can determine the best plan of care for determining the safest time to return to play. Contact us today about getting baseline test and be a step ahead of a head injury.
Sources:
http://www.concussiontreatment.com/baseline-testing.html
