Concussion Baseline Testing

Summer is in full swing here in Austin, Texas! We hope you and your family are enjoying your summer vacation and staying cool!!  Fall sports are just around the corner and now is a great time to get your child’s concussion baseline test done!

Concussion baseline testing is done prior to your child starting their athletic season, that way if they sustain a concussion, we will be able to retest them and compare them to their pre-injury norm. This will help us confidently and safely return your child to sports.

There are two different types of baseline testing offered at SportsSafe. Because concussions commonly affect cognitive function (thinking) and balance, having a baseline test to assess both these areas is very helpful. The 2 tests we offer include the neurocognitive test, ImPACT, and balance test, BioSway.

If your child is in middle or high school, they will complete the ImPACT test on the computer, which takes about 20-30 minutes. This test looks at reaction time and memory.  It consists of 6 different activities such as asking your child to remember words, shapes, and symbols, while measuring his/her response to changes on the screen.  We also recommend the 5 minute BioSway balance test.  BioSway gives us an objective picture of your child’s balance that we can use as a post-injury comparison to know when balance has returned to baseline norms. 

Testing location:  ImPACT computer test can be done from a home computer or at SportsSafe.  BioSway testing is done at SportsSafe.

If your child is in elementary school, they will complete the ImPACT Pediatric test on an iPad. It is similar to the computer test, but a bit shorter (takes about 15 minutes) and asks your child to do activities/games that they will recognize and likely have played before. Both tests give us a picture of your child’s neurocognitive function before and injury, which is very helpful post injury. We also recommend the 5 minute BioSway balance test.  BioSway gives us an objective picture of your child’s balance that we can use as a post-injury comparison to know when balance has returned to baseline norms.  Weight requirement for BioSway is 60 lbs or more.

Testing location:  both ImPACT Pediatric and Biosway tests are completed at SportsSafe.

We recommend all baseline testing yearly in elementary and middle school and every other year in high school.