Concussion tests for kids, just in case
Parents of young athletes have become so concerned about the devastating effects of concussions they are seeking medical care before their children even take the field.
Many high schools in the region provide what is known as baseline screening tests to be used as a comparison in case an athlete is injured. Now parents of younger athletes are also demanding the tests.
Students as young as 10 are taking the ImPACT test, a neurocognitive computer evaluation that records memory, reaction time and multitasking ability. If taken before and after an injury, the tests can help physicians determine the severity of a concussion and allow them to assess when a student has recovered enough to resume play.
The Valley Hospital Sports Institute in Ridgewood recently offered the screening to children — and more than 25 young athletes showed up for the 30-minute test.
Among them was Matthew DiChiara, a 12-year-old Hasbrouck Heights resident. He had endured headaches for almost eight months after suffering a concussion on the football field when he was just 10. His parents kept him out of play for two years to be sure he was fully recovered and to give his muscles more time to develop.
They are letting him play again this fall, but his mother, Alisa DiChiara, took him for the baseline screening.
“I’m really scared that he’s playing, but he loves the sport so much and I know he can get hurt just walking out the front door,” DiChiara said. “We wanted him to have this baseline because it’s important to have some sort of starting point in case he’s hurt again.”
The test measures verbal and visual memory, processing speed and reaction time to 1/100th of a second.
“A concussion doesn’t show up on an MRI or CT scan, so doctors have to tell whether someone has a concussion based on symptoms,” said Donald Tomaszewski, the institute’s director. “And since you can feel fine but still not be recovered, this test will show whether the child still has a concussion.”
Kids at highest risk
A concussion occurs when the head suffers a blow or is so severely jarred — such as with whiplash — that it causes the brain to slam into the skull. The injury can interfere with the brain’s function, affecting memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination and sleep. Occasionally, complications such as bleeding in the brain may occur, which can be fatal.
Children and teens are more susceptible to concussions — and take longer to recover than adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nearly 6,000 New Jersey student-athletes were treated for concussions from 2005 to 2009 and more than 135,000 youngsters nationwide are treated annually for brain injuries from sports or recreational activities.
Matthew’s injury was easy to spot — his punishing symptoms were obvious — but many experts believe a large number of young athletes are suffering undiagnosed concussions.
“Based on the questions we ask the kids when they first get to high school — have they ever felt certain symptoms — most of them, probably about 75 percent, say they have,” said Nick Nicholaides, the athletic trainer for Ridgewood High School. “But they all went undetected.”
That, say experts, is the real danger. If another injury happens before the first one has healed — called second-impact syndrome — the risk of long-term damage increases. Patients may then suffer memory loss, personality changes, irritability and general malaise.
“Once you have a concussion and haven’t fully gotten better, you’re more susceptible to a second injury,” said Dr. Gary Alweiss, section chief of neurology at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. “The symptoms can be magnified and last longer and there’s a greater chance for long-term symptoms.”
Experts say trainers, coaches and parents should be aware of indications of a concussion — when an athlete looks disoriented, forgets plays or is slow to answer questions. They also stress that not all athletes lose consciousness and few show no symptoms at all.