ImPACT™ Concussion testing is available at Athlete's Care's two Ottawa locations. High profile athletes like hockey player Sidney Crosby have brought attention to the importance of the comprehensive treatment of concussion injuries from screening to management to prevention. It's an important issue at any level of competitive sport and beyond – more than 40 percent of the brain injuries to kids and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19 that are treated in emergency departments result from sports and other recreational activities.
The ImPACT™ Concussion Testing we offer at our Ottawa clinics is a widely used system for evaluating the effects of concussion injuries. ImPACT™ stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing and uses a computerized system that has been validated by subsequent studies. It is the first such system developed and is still the gold standard in the clinical management of concussions.
ImPACT™ concussion evaluations are performed by qualified healthcare providers on our Ottawa-based Athlete's Care team and the results are supervised by sports medicine doctors.
The ImPACT™ Test takes just under a half hour to complete. At Athlete's Care Ottawa clinics, your testing will be administered by one of our many qualified medical professionals. We highly value the interdisciplinary approach to care and your ImPACT™ testing will take place within the framework of a comprehensive plan for concussion rehabilitation and care.
The initial assessment is called a baseline neurocognitive and balance test. This test will then be used to measure against the results of future testing and can measure or record changes caused by the concussion and resulting brain damage over time. After the initial testing, your subsequent testing and progress will be monitored by one of the Sports Medicine Physicians at our Ottawa locations.
Essentially, the test measures cognitive functions such as,
• Attention span – ability to sustain and direct
• Memory – working memory, verbal and visual memory
• Responses and reaction time (measured to 1/100 of a second)
• Non-verbal problem solving
ImPACT™ Test evaluations are important tools for the ongoing management of concussion injuries over time. They will allow the sports medicine physician and others on your Athlete's Care Ottawa team to better help you manage the effects of concussions and other related trauma. In addition to concussion injuries, ImPACT™ testing may be useful in the concurrent treatment of,
• Whiplash Associated Disorders
• Myofascial pain
• Mechanical pain
An ImPACT™ Concussion Evaluation is performed within the context of a comprehensive treatment plan. If you have suffered a concussion, please call us or visit one of our clinics to set up an appointment.
Please note that ImPACT™ Concussion Testing is not covered by OHIP. Hockey Canada can provide $500 in insurance coverage if a player is injured in a sanctioned hockey game.
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