This month, our student-athletes playing in contact sports underwent ImPACT testing. This computerized exam is used by many professional, collegiate and high school sports programs across the country to successfully diagnose and manage concussions and prevent potential brain damage that can occur from multiple concussions.
The program is a computerized, non-invasive set of measures similar to a video game that test an individual’s memory, reaction time, speed and concentration. Think of it as a pre-season “physical” of the brain.
Scores are recorded for athletes at the beginning of a contact sport season. For Havergal, the pre-season baseline ImPACT test was done during a regular practice in the computer lab at the school. Then, if a concussion is suspected at any time during the season, the athlete repeats the ImPACT program. The baseline and post-injury data is a useful tool, in conjuction with a full medical assessment by a physician, to evaluate the extent of a head injury.
