Simple Concussion Test Proves Effective

Parents who want to quickly assess whether their child’s fall on the sports field led to a concussion can use what a recent study has proven to be an effective, two-minute test.

A vision test simple enough that parents and coaches can perform it in on the sidelines could be one of the keys to quickly getting your child the vital medical attention he or she needs for a concussion. The test involves reading numbers on a flashcard; if a child does so more slowly after a head injury, it can indicate a concussion. Parents and coaches will be looking at the speed in which someone is able to rattle off these numbers as well as their accuracy. To make this test as precise as possible, parents and coaches need to have a baseline to compare responses. Robert Duarte, MD, director of the pain center at the Cushing Neuroscience Institute, advises parents and coaches to test children before the season begins to get a baseline for potential future comparison.

“Anyone who is going into any kind of athletics – basketball, baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, cheerleading… so that they should just be assessed for what their baseline is,” Dr. Duarte said. “If they do well on this test, then most likely they can go right back into the game.”

Dr. Duarte noted that this test can be performed at home if a parent later suspects a concussion following a game.

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