ImPACT Testing Keeps Student Athletes Safe On the Field

For each of the past 20 years, the number of football-related brain injuries resulting in permanent disability at the high school level has remained in the single digits. But in recent years, experts say the tally has risen to as high as 13 catastrophic injuries in a year, which is the highest number on record since scientists began collecting catastrophic brain injury data.

Most of the catastrophic injuries are caused by head-to-head contact, such as face tackling or spearing tackles. These types of tackles make the head the first and primary contact point with an opposing player, and they can result in cervical spine fractures or permanent brain injuries. Head-to-head contact has been prohibited across all levels of sports, but that has not eliminated the problem completely.

To keep athletes safe, Port Huron High School and Port Huron Northern High School are using a concussion screening program. The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing program is specifically designed to detect changes in brain function. Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron's sports medicine team provided the computer system to both high schools.

Athletes at Port Huron High School and Port Huron Northern High School take a variety of tests using a computer prior to the start of the season. If a player suffers a concussion during the season, he or she takes the test again and the results are compared to the pre-season test to more accurately determine the extent of the injury. Post-concussion tests include follow-up care from an athlete's primary care doctor and/or neurologist.

“It’s important for coaches to be familiar with the warning signs and symptoms of concussions, including headaches, dizziness, and nausea, and to pull players from a game if they notice any of those signs,” explains Dr. Rajesh B. Makim, sports medicine specialist at Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron.

Players exhibiting any of these signs should stay off the field until a primary care physician and/or a neurologist clears them for play, and coaches should emphasize to players that the head should not be used in tackling or blocking.

If you have questions regarding concussions or the ImPACT concussion-testing program, please contact Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron at (810) 985-4900.