IMPACT key to concussion protocol
‘Return-to-learn’ test comes before ‘return to play’
James Porter, an athletic trainer for more than 40 years, has worked with the Clark County School District since 1998. He has seen how dramatically the science around concussions and their effects has evolved.
“When we started the (AT) program here, if you suffered a concussion and I did a sideline evaluation and you didn’t have any symptoms you reported to me, I could put you back in play,” he said. “Now, that would never happen.”
These days, CCSD is focused on diagnosing and treating concussions. As school starts, the district again has begun its baseline testing program to evaluate concussions and subsequent treatment.
A concussion is a brain injury that occurs when a sudden force or shift in momentum causes the brain to bounce against the inside of the skull. Although football is known for this kind of injury, it could happen in any sport involving contact, collisions and falls.
Since 2004, CCSD has instituted an evaluation system for treating concussions based on clearing student-athletes for the classroom before they step back on the field.
One of the key components of the concussion evaluation system is the IMPACT test. IMPACT is a cognitive test which, according to the IMPACT Applications website, is used by more than 7,400 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges.
The test is an online tool which measures functions of the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for body movement, problem solving, judgment, the senses and spatial awareness. Porter emphasized that it is only one part of the overall program, but it serves a vital purpose.
“It is the ‘return-to-learn’ component,” Porter said. “It’s a cognitive test to determine when the athlete is ready to go back to school. A lot of people think the IMPACT program is a ‘return-to-play’ component. It is not.”
A student must first pass the IMPACT test before he or she can go on to balance tests or physical stress tests, which Porter said are the “return-to-play” components, to make sure all parts of the student’s brain are functioning properly.
Dr. Adam Briener, medical director of The Neuroedge Brain Performance Center in Fairfield, Connecticut, believes that parents who are thinking about signing up their children for sports should take some form of test before the season starts to have a baseline for their child’s normal cognitive levels.
“It’s a good measure to kind of see that the kid has a change in their cognitive performance,” he said.
But Porter said the database linked to the IMPACT test is vast, so an athlete does not necessarily need a prior baseline test to get solid results.
While Porter stressed that IMPACT is not the only test used, he said it has become a very effective tool in the treatment and management of concussions.
“We’re using a number of tests, as well as external components and direct observation to determine that when we send an athlete back they are as normal as they possibly can be,” he said.
Contact Jonathan Saxon at jsaxon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @J_saxon91 on Twitter.