A variety of concussion tests, including baseline testing, are available to check whether you have a concussion and the extent of brain injury. Some tests also help in monitoring the healing process.
Our Banner Concussion Center and many of our other facilities provide a number of tests from baseline testing to understand your brain’s normal functioning, to tests to determine level of injury.
You don’t have to wait for a concussion to happen. Baseline testing, available in our Phoenix location, for concussion helps get a picture of how your brain functions in a normal state. So you can help your doctors now in the treatment of any concussion, should it happen in the future.
This testing is not meant to diagnose a concussion. If an athlete or patient suffers a concussion, however, baseline testing results can be compared to post injury results to help with return to play/school/work decisions.
It is recommended to have anyone 15 and under tested each year. Anyone at the high school level should get tested every other year.
This is done using the ImPACT© (Immediate Post concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) tool, also used by the NFL, NHL, MLB and most NCAA Institutions in the United States.
The testing checks for the following neurocognitive functions:
ImPACT© testing is most effective when performed at baseline (prior to a concussion) and can be compared when an athlete suffers a concussion.
Dizziness and imbalance are common complaints after suffering a concussion. A physical therapist does baseline balance testing using specialized equipment to help check a person’s balance function. This is done by recording the person’s sway and loss of balance.
Treatment options, should they be required for balance dysfunction and dizziness, are available. These are done by therapists who use balance function tools.
Visual acuity and visual integration – Tests that measure the speed and accuracy of vision and the brain’s ability to integrate that information. This is done through two activities that challenge a person’s ability to accurately read while the eyes are in movement.
Coordination and fine motor function – An occupational therapist guides an individual through a series of physical tasks that measure a person’s speed and accuracy.
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