New for the 2012-13 School Year, Cherokee County School District high school athletic programs are offering baseline ImPACT™ concussion testing for all high school athletes with the goal of improving the diagnosis and management of concussions. The program, sponsored by Northside Hospital-Cherokee, is used by the majority of NCAA and Professional sports teams and is expected to help doctors manage concussion cases. All high school athletes are eligible for the testing.

ImPACT™ stands for Immediate Post-concussive Assessment and Cognitive Testing. It is a 20-minute, noninvasive, “video-game-type” computer test, which measures an athlete’s reaction time, processing speed, short-term memory, concentration and other brain functions that are affected by concussions. It can be given at school in the computer lab or can easily be given at home. The baseline test is typically given before the season starts. Since each athlete is unique, if an athlete suffers a concussion, medical personnel will have the baseline test of that athlete to compare with post-injury ImPACT™ test(s). In combination with a normal complete neurological examination, this comparison will help doctors know when the athlete’s brain is again functioning normally.