Concussions: Returning to play

BOB FLOUNDERS, The Patriot-News

A 20-minute cognitive test created by Dr. Mark Lovell, Collins' co-worker and the founder of the UPMC concussion program, has made it considerably easier for medical personnel to determine the right time to return an athlete to his or her sport.

The ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) exam. The online test uses colors, numbers, words and shapes to evaluate the athlete's memory and recognition skills. For example, a number of words will flash and then later the testee will be asked if a particular word was included on the original list.

Ideally, an athlete will take the test before a concussion to determine a "baseline" score. Then if he suffers a concussion, his score will be compared to his original score. If the scores don't match up, the athlete isn't recovered from his concussion.

Roughly 43 percent of all Pennsylvania high schools employ the ImPact test, putting the number at 341, according to Collins.

Collins said he has other criteria for clearing an athlete - he must be symptom-free at rest and the symptoms must not surface when he is engaged in either physical or cognitive exertion.

The Bears' medical team of Stuck, Black and Silvis make sure they are all in agreement on a player's condition before he is allowed back on the ice.

"We're always extremely cautious about concussions," Black said.

"It helps that 'Beak' has been here for a while and he's established a very good relationship with all of the players. He knows what to look for and I think we all communicate pretty well. We know how serious these things are."

For more information about this article, please visit http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2010/01/concussions_returning_to_play.html

Become an ImPACT Client: