What do former NFL standouts Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Wayne Chrebet have in common with former NHL stars Pat LaFontaine, Scott Stevens, and Mike Richter?

They all had their careers cut short by concussions.

However, concussions are not limited to high-profile professional athletes . In fact, the number of sports-related concussions in the United States, is estimated at 300,000. Depending on the sport, an athlete has as much as a 19 percent chance of suffering a concussion. 

Many times, athletes return to action before they are fully recovered from a concussion, to no fault of their own or their trainer.  

“In the past, there really wasn't any scientific process for deciding when a student-athlete could return to play following a concussion,” said Jeff Bray, athletic trainer. “It was required that they be asymptomatic for at least 24 hours, meaning no headache, nausea, dizziness, etc. Reflex and exertion tests were done to increase heart rate and blood pressure. We also did some cognitive testing and if it all checked out, they were allowed to play.”

While this form of testing was “useful,” according to Bray, it was not definitive. When it comes to concussions, athletes and trainers want to be absolutely certain it is safe to return to the field. Athletes who are not fully recovered from a concussion may have more serious medical problems if they suffer another one.

Fortunately, there is now a neurological screening tool that delivers the diagnostic information needed by trainers to determine whether or not an athlete is ready to return to activity after a concussion. And fortunately for Keuka athletes, Keuka is one of only 19 colleges in New York state to employ the ImPact System.

“The purpose of the program is not so much to cut down the number of severe concussions [but] to prevent someone from returning to play before his or her brain is ready,” said Bray. “To now have a tool that assists in the decision process of when to allow an athlete to return to play following a head injury takes guesswork out of the equation,” he said.

Every athlete undergoes a baseline test before competing in a contact sport. The test measures processing speed, memory, attention and reaction time and takes about 40 minutes to complete.  The athlete must also answer questions based on their medical and injury history.

When an athlete sustains a concussion of any sort, he or she is required to take another test. This test can be taken using a laptop computer and can be administered on the field during a game.

The post-injury test takes about 30 minutes and once the results come back, the trainer compares the pre-injury results against the post-injury, giving him or her a better idea of whether or not the athlete should be allowed to return to action.

This spring marks the first use of this new system at Keuka and although the College had purchased it in the fall, Bray wanted to make sure he knew all of the ins and outs of ImPact before testing anyone.

“It was cost-prohibitive for the number of student-athletes we have. However, one of the venders that I use, Medco Supply out of Buffalo, offered a significant discounted package this year. We were able to take advantage of it and over the long haul, I think it will be well worth it,” explained Bray.

Bray has received positive feedback on the ImPact system from Keuka athletes and coaches. About 60 athletes have already been baseline tested.

“It's one thing to put a player back on the field with an ankle or knee injury, but it's a whole new issue when dealing with a brain,” said Bray “Those are tough to tape.”

-- Anthony Affissio '08