ImPACT tackling concussions head-on
Matt Schaeffer
A concussion is a disturbance in brain function that occurs following either a blow to the head or as a result of violent shaking of the head, affects 1.6 million to 3.8 millions Americans every year according, to the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. With college sports underway, one constant concern for teams is injuries.
While no injury is good, ones to the brain are always cause for alarm.
As MCC athletic trainer, Bob Klassen has taken the responsibility of making sure these injuries do not go undetected.
Klassen stated the immediate concern for anyone treating a concussion is to check the pupils, blood pressure and pulse for intra-cranial bleeding.
If blood pressure and pulse are going in opposite directions, it’s a warning sign that something is wrong.
Another cause for concern is the risk of a neck injury. If a hit is, “strong enough to lose consciousness, its strong enough to damage the spine,” said Klassen
In order to assist in the diagnoses and treatment of these concussions, MCC athletics has introduced the ImPACT test this year.
The ImPACT test is a neurocognitive examination given as a pretest to provide a baseline measure incase of injury.
If injured, the athlete will take the ImPACT test again for comparative purposes.
By comparing the pre and post-injury tests, the training staff can see the differences caused by the injury.
Klassen and his assistant, Kara Cummins, have already performed the ImPACT test on 280 student athletes.
Testing is currently being done for all contact sports such as football and basketball. Non-contact sports such as tennis, cross-country, and golf are not currently being tested.
For more information on concussions, visit Klassen’s blog at mccbob.blogspot.com
