Cambridge Medical Center is proud to bring ImPACT™ (Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) to young people in the area. Baseline concussion screening is available to all youth, ages 11 through college-age for a nominal fee.
For students in selected team sports at Cambridge-Isanti and Braham high schools, baseline testing is offered at no cost thanks to the generous support of the
Cambridge Medical Center Foundation.
Non-Surgical Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Cambridge Medical Center is the first clinic in northeastern Minnesota to use ImPACT™ (Immediate Post concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) to diagnose, treat, and educate student athletes and their families about concussions.
ImPACT™ is a computer program that measures aspects of brain function sensitive to concussion.
ImPACT™ tests the brain function of student athletes before they participate in sports for a baseline score. It measures brain function in areas such as: attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention time, non-verbal problem solving, and reaction time.
If a head injury occurs, the same measurements are repeated. The before-and-after comparison assesses the degree of brain impairment and helps determine when it has healed. This helps doctors, coaches, parents and athletic trainers decide when it is safe for a student athlete to return to play, school and life.
The most common brain injury in contact sports is concussion. Young athletes are more vulnerable to brain injuries than older professionals.
Children's brains are not fully developed and take longer to heal. Having many concussions may increase the risk of chronic headaches, cognitive and memory impairment, permanent dizziness and personality changes.
The brain needs time to rest and recover from a concussion. If a second concussion occurs before a first one is fully healed, a condition called second impact syndrome may cause brain swelling and could be fatal.
Budd Renier, MD says there are no shortcuts for athletes like the Twins' First Baseman Justin Morneau when it comes to coming back after a concussion . He discusses the importance of preventing repeat concussions and how the ImPACT™ test is used to determine when athletes should return to their sport.
Cambridge Medical Center Foundation has led the effort to raise funds to bring ImPACT™ (Immediate Post concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) to Cambridge-Isanti and Braham high schools. Donations are needed to help cover the cost of baseline screenings for high school athletes.