Pennsylvania High Schools Elect to use ImPACT to Detect Concussions
Recent head injuries among professional football players have brought concussions into the spotlight. The same neuropsychological testing being used by pro teams to detect brain injuries is making its way into high schools. Thirty-two schools in the Philadelphia area have signed up to use the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The license costs $1,500 dollars and is being funded by booster clubs and state grants. The schools are using the tests for football, soccer and lacrosse. At the beginning of the season the athletes take a computerized baseline test that measures verbal and visual memory, reaction time, impulse control and information processing speed. An athlete will retake the test when they suffer a head injury and again when they seem to be healed. Recent studies have shown that young athletes are more at risk of brain injuries because their brains are not fully developed until 18 years old and recovery can take longer for high school athletes than for older athletes. According to a study to be reported in the December Journal of Athletic Training, female players are particularly vulnerable. In sports such as soccer that is played by both males and females, the girls suffered from more concussions, possibly due to weaker head and neck muscles. Having the test results can often help coaches, players and parents accept that a key player has to sit out a game. Although, the schools involved who have signed up for ImPACT have voluntarily done so, the area coaches believe the testing will become mandatory.
