Concussions can have long-term effects, and early detection and management are essential for full recovery. For athletes, baseline concussion testing has become a fundamental part of the assessment process by providing medical professionals with valuable information to compare and monitor an athlete’s cognitive function before and after a head injury. .
Baseline concussion testing is a pre-injury assessment that establishes an athlete’s normal cognitive function and physical performance. This allows medical professionals to establish a baseline tailored to each athlete, providing a comprehensive picture of an individual’s brain function and physical performance.
“The concept of baseline concussion testing was to perform a multisystem assessment of symptoms, cognitive function, coordination, and visual tracking when healthy or at the beginning of a season of play,” he said. Dr. Christopher Gizadirector of UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program.
“The idea was that if a person had a brain injury, or if there was a suspicion of an injury, you could compare that person’s performance at that point with their pre-injury performance.”
Importance of baseline testing
Dr. Giza explained that baseline concussion testing is essential for three reasons:
- early detection: Medical professionals can identify cognitive impairment caused by a concussion by comparing post-injury test results to baseline measurements. Prompt recognition of concussions facilitates early intervention and appropriate management, reducing the risk of long-term complications.
- Objective evaluation: Baseline testing provides an objective measure of an athlete’s cognitive ability and physical performance. It eliminates reliance on subjective self-reports and allows for a more accurate assessment of an athlete’s condition.
- Return-to-play decision making: After a concussion, athletes must undergo a comprehensive evaluation to determine if they are ready to return to sports activities. Baseline test results serve as an important factor in this decision-making process, ensuring that the athlete’s cognitive function has returned to pre-injury levels.
The timing of post-injury evaluation is important. Sports concussion assessment tools must be used within 72 hours of injury, otherwise assessment decisions can be difficult, Dr. Giza said.
“If you have a headache the day after you hit your head, your headache is more likely related to the head hit. If you had a headache 4 weeks after hitting your head, but you also had a headache during that time. “If you feel fine without a headache, it’s unlikely that your headache is related to the bruise from a few weeks ago,” says Dr. Giza.
Baseline procedures for concussion testing
Baseline concussion testing typically includes a combination of cognitive, balance, and coordination assessments.
- Cognitive test: It assesses an athlete’s memory, attention, reaction time, and problem-solving skills. This may include computer-based tests such as Immediate Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), which measure various cognitive areas affected by concussion.
- Balance test: Balance assessment determines an athlete’s postural stability and equilibrium. These tests assess an athlete’s ability to maintain balance, often by standing on a hard or unstable surface with eyes open or closed.
- Coordination and reaction time testing: These tests evaluate an athlete’s motor coordination, agility, and reaction time. They may include tasks such as hand-eye coordination training and timed training.
Baseline concussion testing tools have improved over the years since first becoming popular in the early 2000s.
“For example, in the past, standard balance measures were static; a person had to stand in a certain position on a flat surface and maintain the posture with eyes closed,” explains Dr. Giza. Did. “The new version uses dynamic balance, or something called ‘timed tandem walking,’ which involves walking a certain distance from heel to toe, then turning and walking back.”
The BrainSPORT program continues to work with all athletes, including athletes with disabilities and Paralympians, to promote brain and head safety in sport. The biggest hurdle is creating a baseline test for all athletes. This is because each individual is different and each test has a financial cost.
“Creating a baseline assessment test is a big challenge, but the ultimate goal of more inclusiveness in physical activity and participation in sports is a good goal to work toward,” Dr. Giza said.