HCSD Implements Concussion Testing Program

From the NFL to high school fields across the country, head injuries have quickly become one of the biggest hot-button issues in sports.

The Harrison Central School District has decided to take a proactive approach to fighting the problem, bringing in a new baseline brain activity test to help decide when players are safe to take to the playing field. Immediate post-concussion assessment and cognitive tests (ImPACT) are 40-minute computerized tests that evaluate attention process, word identification and recognition memory. Reaction speed, processing speed and concentration are also logged for evaluation.

Football players and cheerleaders took the test in the spring; other fall athletes were tested in August and September before taking to the field this year. In total, more than 550 student-athletes have been tested in grades 7 - 12.

"Bottom line—this will help us treat an athlete and return him or her to play, safely," said Harrison Athletic Director Patricia Seligman. "Most of our coaches are teachers, and they are aware of proper sports techniques and new technologies. They are looking out for the best interest of their athletes."

After a Harrison athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, there will be a two-fold process that will take place before he or she can return to action. A post-concussion ImPACT test will be conducted within two days of the injury and a neuropsychologist will then review the results. Players must then pass a five-step rehabilitation test before being cleared to play.

The school district believes the new testing is an improvement over traditional CT Scans and MRIs because of its ability to better pinpoint small side affects that can linger long after a head injury. ImPACT testing was even used by the NFL as one of its tools for evaluating players entering the 2011 draft.

Moving forward Harrison athletes will be tested every two years.