Concussion Management: Keeping Heads and Brain Healthy
The School has teamed up with Bethesda HealthEast® to offer a concussion management program for our student-athletes. The program is called ImPACT™ (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) and involves an online, computerized baseline exam that each athlete takes prior to the athletic season. Founded by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Sports Concussion Program, the ImPACT™ software system is used throughout professional sports and has been mandated in the NHL and NFL and utilized by US Soccer and countless colleges and high schools across the country. Additional information about this program can be found at www.impacttest.com.
Optional baseline testing began this spring will be offered next fall and winter too. The 45-minute exam is non-invasive and is conducted in a video-game type format that tracks neurocognitive information such as memory, reaction time, brain processing speed and concentration. If a Blake athlete is believed to have suffered a concussion during competition, the exam is taken again and the data is compared to the baseline test. This information is then used as a tool to assist the athletic training staff and treating physicians in determining the extent of the injury, monitoring recovery, and in making safe return-to-play decisions.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each family to see a doctor of your choosing if an injury like this occurs. The Blake School will cover costs of the baseline test, but individual families will be responsible for all costs associated with post-testing and follow-up care.
More information on ImPACT™ testing can be found by clicking here (text readers click here http://tinyurl.com/3d6bk6v). Questions? Please contact Athletic Director Jim Lindsay at (952) 988-3802.