Concussion test could protect athletes
More than 2,000 children who play in youth sports programs run by the Chathams' recreation departments in New Jersey now may take a new online test at home to gauge treatment if they suffer a concussion. Starting last month, children 10 and older in the joint recreation program have been eligible for the free, voluntary test that provides a baseline measure of their brain functions. The ImPACT test (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test) is usually administered after a concussion to help measure its severity. The test can also give doctors a baseline assessment of a patient's cognitive abilities before a concussion occurs. After a concussion, the results of a second ImPACT test can be compared with the baseline results to give doctors a clearer picture of any brain injury the patient has suffered, according to Dr. Jack Knightly, a neurosurgeon who directs the Atlantic Neuroscience Institute's Concussion Center at Overlook Hospital in Summit. Knightly said the main treatment for a concussion is to refrain from physical activity in order to give the brain time to heal. A concussion victim who returns to physical activity too early can suffer a severe and potentially fatal injury if he or she has a second concussion before the first one has healed, Knightly said. Following an injury, the ImPACT test also helps measure whether a brain has sufficiently healed, and it is most effective when baseline test results are available.
