Since last June, IMPACT Concussion Testing has been implemented for Wayne Valley student athletes by Wayne Valley alumni and freshman at Notre Dame, Morgan La Sala, to better help with the diagnosis of concussions. Every athlete at Wayne Valley must take this test, and in the event of a concussion, must retake the test to track their cognitive recovery.

The test is taken on a computer and lasts for about 20-30 minutes. During the test, various words, phrases, and pictures are displayed on the screen in a specific order. Athletes must answer the questions in the correct order or identify specific patterns as they come up on the screen. Each question will be marked right or wrong, but the test is not graded. It is simply an indicator of the baseline of a person’s cognitive ability, so when a person gets a concussion an obvious decrease in the score of the test will be seen. A person will not be cleared for athletics until their score reaches their previous score from their baseline test.

Overall, this test is important for helping athletes understand the severity of brain injuries like concussions. This test helps athletes track their recovery from a concussion and prevents the premature return to athletics that can lead to permanent brain damage.