facts

• Sports are second only to vehicular accidents as the leading cause of head injuries.
• Head injuries among high school athletes are occurring at an astounding rate and can have deadly consequences.
• There were 200,000 high school football concussions last year.
• 40% show significant improvement within two weeks.
• 20% do not.
• 40% return to action too soon.
• 11 football-related catastrophic head injuries were reported last year, including four deaths.
• SIS only affects athletes while their brain is still recovering from a first impact.
• The Impact™ test was administered nationally in 4,000 high schools last year.
• The test amounts to a "stress test" for the brain.
• There is an unwritten "Players' Code" to play through injuries.
• Legislators in four states have passed laws concerning sports and head injuries.
• Only 42% of American high schools offer "access" to an athletic trainer. The validity and importance of the Impact™ test is confirmed through its use by
  The National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League
  Soccer (MLS), USA Hockey (USAH), USA Rugby (USAR) and many National Collegiate Athletic Assn. (NCAA) universities, including Arizona State University (ASU), University of Arizona (U of A) and Northern Arizona University (NAU).

This fact has caused AZSCN members to assert: If professional athletes are worthy of such protection, certainly Arizona's youngsters are!

The baseline test, which takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, can be administered by an Impact™ certified tester at a physician's office, school computer lab or like facility in a "group setting," or the AZSCC team can bring its mobile computer lab onsite.

Measurement is the key

Baseline test results are stored in an online database. If, later, an athlete is suspected to have sustained a concussion, they should be evaluated immediately by a health care professional, e.g. physician, neurologist or athletic trainer. Once it has been determined that the athlete's condition is stable, they should contact an Impact™-certified physician to schedule a post-injury Impact™ test and medical exam.

When the Impact™-certified physician compares results of the post-injury test to those of the baseline test, it will help determine the extent of the injury, assisting the physician with appropriate diagnosis and treatment, and a decision as to when the athlete's brain has normalized, making it safe for them to return to play.

Impact™-trained physicians who participate in the program are listed at www.azsportsconcussion.com under AZSCC Clinicians or
www.impacttest.com under Doctor Locator.