When your youngster plays contact sports, it’s natural to worry about injuries—especially concussions. One term you may have heard tossed around by coaches, athletic trainers, or doctors is baseline testing, specifically ImPACT Testing. But what is it, and how does it help if your child suffers a head injury?
We want to help clear up the confusion in order to understand how this tool fits into your child’s overall concussion care plan.
What Is ImPACT Baseline Testing?
ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a widely used computerized tool that helps healthcare providers understand how a brain is functioning. A baseline test is taken before the season starts—when your child is healthy and symptom-free. The test is set up in almost a video game-like fashion and measures factors such as:
- Memory
- Reaction time
- Processing speed
- Attention span
This “snapshot” of brain function serves as a comparison point if your child later experiences a concussion.
Where Does It Fit in Concussion Management?
Please, please, please understand the key: ImPACT does not diagnose concussions. That can only be done by a licensed healthcare provider after a comprehensive evaluation of your child.
ImPACT also does not tell you when a concussion is “gone” or when an athlete is fully healed. Instead, it’s a tool—one of many—that can help inform clinical decisions for your healthcare team during recovery.
When used properly by a trained healthcare professional, comparing post-injury results to your child’s healthy baseline can:
- Provide insight into cognitive recovery
- Assist in developing a safe return-to-learn or return-to-play plan
- Help identify ongoing symptoms that might not be obvious during a routine checkup
Who Should Interpret These Results?
Another common misunderstanding: Not all medical professionals are trained to interpret ImPACT test results.
Only providers with specialized concussion training—such as neuropsychologists or physicians with concussion expertise—should be analyzing and making decisions based on these results.
That’s why it’s important to work with a sports medicine team familiar with concussion protocols and tools like ImPACT.
Why It Still Matters—Even If It’s Not a Diagnostic Test
Some parents question the need for baseline testing if it doesn’t diagnose or “fix” a concussion. But imagine trying to fix a puzzle without knowing what the original picture looked like. That’s what it’s like evaluating a concussion without a baseline.
Baseline testing gives your child’s healthcare team a critical point of reference that makes post-injury testing much more meaningful.
Final Thoughts: What Parents Should Do
- Ask if your child’s school or sports program offers baseline testing. If not, seek it out through a sports medicine clinic.
- Understand that baseline testing is one piece of a comprehensive concussion management plan.
- Ensure your child’s care team includes professionals trained in concussion evaluation and ImPACT interpretation.
At Country House Athletics, we believe informed parents are empowered parents. If you’re unsure where to start or how to access quality baseline testing and concussion care in your area, we’re here to help.
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