What is ImPACT?
The Wyoming Area Football Parents Association (WAFPA) has some important news that may affect the health and well being of your child. The WAFPA board has purchased a Concussion Management System called ImPACT. ImPACT stands for Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. The ImPACT concussion evaluation system helps physicians, athletic trainers and coaches determine when a player who has sustained a concussion can safely return to action.
In the United States, the annual incidence of sports-related concussions is estimated at 300,000. Some estimates show that 1 in 10 high school athletes will experience a concussion. (At least 5 Wyoming Area Varisty football players have experienced concussion symptoms this year.) Athletes that are not fully recovered from an initial concussion are vulnerable for recurrent, cumulative and even catastrophic consequences of a second concussive injury.
ImPACT is a user-friendly computer based testing program specifically designed for the management of sports-related concussions. At the beginning of a sports season, before an injury occurs, athletes are given the opportunity to take a baseline ImPACT test. This test measures “normal” neurocognitive ability for each individual. The test is taken on a PC in the computer lab, under the supervision of the athletic trainer, and is completed in about a half hour. The test measures brain functions like response time and short–term memory. Taking a baseline test is optional. It is performed only with parent consent.
In the event that the athlete suffers a concussion, he or she can then be re-tested in the computer lab. The test results are then compared with the player’s previous baseline test taken before the concussion occurred to determine the extent of the brain injury. When the post-injury tests return back to the player’s baseline “normal”, then the decision, supported by the ImPACT test results, can be made regarding the athlete’s fitness to return to play.
Concussions do not only occur in football. They have the potential to happen in other sports like ice hockey, soccer, field hockey, baseball, basketball, and wrestling. The ImPACT concussion management system will be available to ALL Wyoming Area athletes. The cost of the package is $750 per year and will be paid in full by WAFPA. This ImPACT package allows baseline testing up to 600 athletes and 60 post-injury tests.
The ImPACT system is used by the majority of teams in the NFL and Major League Baseball. College teams like Penn State, Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, and Wilkes use the ImPACT system. A growing number of high schools in the area like Coughlin, Nanticoke, and Tunkhannock also utilize the system.
Trainer Laura Mudlock is developing procedures for implementing the ImPACT system at Wyoming Area. If you have questions regarding ImPACT, please contact Laura or one of the WAFPA board members.
More information on the ImPACT program can be found at www.impacttest.com. |
