Marshall Health News
Marshall Sports Medicine Institute to offer free baseline concussion testing for children
6/14/2017
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – With pediatric concussions on the rise nationally, the Marshall Sports Medicine Institute is launching a new initiative to offer free baseline concussion testing for children.
This proactive approach to concussion management establishes baseline data in healthy patients using ImPACT Pediatric, the first and only FDA-approved concussion assessment aid for ages 5-11.
“With this new pediatric concussion test we can now evaluate neurocognitive function after sustaining a concussion and compare their function to baseline levels,” said Tom Belmaggio, MS, ATC, CSCS, coordinator of the Marshall Sports Medicine Institute. “This allows our physicians to provide safer return-to-play decisions for younger athletes who sustain a concussion.”
According to a study by researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Colorado, nearly 2 million children suffer sports-related concussions each year.
“As more children under the age of 12 participate in recreational physical activity, baseline testing in children is increasingly essential to overall concussion management,” said Andy Gilliland, M.D, a primary care sports medicine physician with Marshall Orthopaedics and an assistant professor of orthopaedics at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “This provides us greater insight into cognitive changes and develop a personalized treatment plan accordingly.”
Free pediatric baseline concussion testing is available by appointment at the Marshall Sports Medicine Institute, 2211 Third Avenue, Huntington, 304-691-1880, and at Marshall Health–Teays Valley, 300 Corporate Center Drive, Scott Depot, 304-691-6800.
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Media Relations Contact
Michele McKnight
Assistant Director of External Affairs
304-691-1713
mcknigh4@marshall.edu
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