A new test was introduced early this month to help assess when children can return to physical activities after having suffered a concussion or brain injury. The test is called ImPACT and is a computer-based battery of tests used to measure a child’s brain responses to certain stimulation. With the increased number of brain injuries occurring in children recently, schools are starting to implement this new test across the country.
While most children suffer brain injuries during extracurricular actives, such as school-sponsored sports, ideally this test would be given to all student athletes in order to obtain a baseline profile for each child. Then, when a child suffers from a brain injury, the test would be given again and these results would be compared to the baseline results.
The differences in brain responses between the two tests will enable doctors to better determine the degree of the injury, and therefore, more accurately predict when it is safe for the child to return to their activity.
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