New resource being used at MHS to evaluate concussions

An online concussion evaluation system is now being used at Mitchell High School.

ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, is a scientifically validated computer program that uses a 20-minute test as a standard tool to clinically manage concussions for athletes of all ages.

Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, of Mitchell, donated approximately $500 to Mitchell High School to fund the online procedure, which will be used for the first time at MHS this school year.

“There are a lot of schools in South Dakota that have this,” Mitchell High School’s head athletic trainer Clayton Gropper said. “It’s just another tool in assessing athletes to figure out when they are OK to return from a concussion.”

Gropper, who is employed through Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, said he became aware of ImPACT after a training seminar a few years ago. He and Dakota Wesleyan University trainer Dan Wagner brought the idea to the attention of the hospital and MHS.

The basis of the procedure calls for athletes to take a baseline test. The 20-minute test measures aspects of cognitive functioning including attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention time, response variability, non-verbal problem solving and reaction time.

Then, in the case of a suspected concussion, the athlete is tested again 24-48 hours post-injury. The results are looked at by a physician to determine the severity of the injury.

Gropper said the majority of MHS football players have been given their baseline tests and other athletes at risk will take theirs in the near future.

“The online software does all the work for us,” Gropper said. “We get so many baselines to administer each year so it should help us prevent kids from returning to action too soon in the event of a concussion.”

For more information on the testing procedures, visit www.impacttest.com.

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