sideline assessment

Scores on a test commonly used to assess concussions on the sport sideline vary by an athlete's gender and concussion history, reports a new study.  Establishing an individual baseline for each youth athlete in contact and collision sports is therefore critical to proper management of a subsequent concussion and the timing for safe return to play.

The emerging model of sport concussion assessment now involves the use of brief screening tools to evaluate post-concussion signs and symptoms on the sideline immediately after a concussion and neuropsychological testing to track recovery further out from the time of injury. One of the tools of value for sideline evaluation is called the Standardized Assessment of Concussion.