NHS testing student athletes for concussions

Since the beginning of the school year Newberg High School has been administering to all its athletes a test to better diagnose concussion victims.

The computer-based test measures a student’s ability to memorize and remember words and shapes over a short period of time, as well as their reaction time to visual stimuli and their ability to complete simple tasks. Data suggests that football and girls soccer have the highest frequency of concussions.

If a coach suspects one of his or her players has sustained a concussion, the student then retakes the test and the results are sent to a local doctor who analyzes the differences and gives advice on whether the athlete should be examined or not.

NHS Athletic Director Tim Burke said NHS debuted the screening on a limited basis last year and started testing all athletes this fall via fundraising from the booster club. Otherwise he would have had to choose which teams were screened and which weren’t, with the possibility that it would be an athlete from a non-screened team who would get hurt.

Burke said concussions among high school athletes have gained more media attention in recent years as people are noticing that athletes who suffered concussions may be at an increased risk for some diseases later in life.

“It used to be you got your bell rung,” Burke said of the old days. The coach would test kids by asking their phone numbers and if they couldn’t remember they’d be pulled from the game until they could answer such simple questions. “We’re finding out now it probably wasn’t the best idea,” Burke said.

Coaches who suspect an athlete has suffered a concussion are now legally obligated by Max’s Law (see adjoining story) to pull the athlete from the game and the requirements before they can return to practice are more stringent.

Five years ago, Burke said, a quarterback was knocked out on the last play of a game. The following Friday, as he was warming up for a weight training class by running a couple of laps, he became sick and woozy. “Now that wouldn’t happen with this program,” he said.
With the school’s new guidelines the athlete would have had to take the second screening test on Monday. If athletes pass the test, they have to be symptom-free for two days before trainer Gretchen Nylander starts working with them. Nylander said the typical reintroduction would start with 15 minutes of light exercise on the first day.

On day two she would observe them jogging for 15 minutes. On day three an athlete might practice some position specific skills then run for 15 minutes. On day four they would be allowed to practice with pads and helmets in non-contact drills. If at anytime during the process they show symptoms of a concussion, Nylander stops them from continuing.

A trainer since 1993, she’s become good at spotting athletes who might try to outsmart her and aren’t ready to train. If an athlete goes out on the track to run and can’t bear the sunlight, they’re not ready, she said.

Another advantage of the program, Burke said, is that it takes pressure away from coaches and trainers to allow an athlete back in the game or on the practice field. While “no parent has fought what we’re trying to do,” he said, he’s heard from other schools where the old-school mentality is hard to get past.

Burke said that the OSSA was poised to mandate every school have a concussion management program similar to that of Newberg.
George Fox University athletic trainer Dale Isaak said that the Impact “tests for people’s ability to process information.” It controls for memory, processing speed, reaction time and impulse control. Trainers at Fox look for three factors in athletes who may have had concussions. Then they verify that they can score on a balance test at least as well as they did prior to their injury. Finally, they retake the computer test. They’re then submitted to a similar physical activity progression as NHS students.

While he doesn’t have any hard data, Burke said that his experience tends to indicate that students who frequent the weight room during the summer and train seem to suffer less injuries overall than students who simply show up on the first day of practice.
As for the reason football and female soccer players appear more at risk, Burke said he thinks that some is psychological and some physiological. The improvements in helmet design and the use of full faceguards may give football players a false sense of security when they go to tackle, he said. Girls soccer players might simply have less developed neck muscles than male soccer players.

Max’s Law instituted in Oregon in 2009
Under Max’s Law, Oregon coaches are required to remove a player from the game if they suspect he or she has suffered a concussion.
The law was passed in 2009 and signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. It is named after Waldport quarterback Max Conradt, who in 2001 at the age of 17 suffered a concussion during a football game. A week later Conradt started a game and although he didn’t take any noticeable hits he collapsed at half-time due to a massive brain hemorrhage.

Doctors were able to save his life after three brain surgeries, but he now lives in a Salem group home for adults with brain injuries. According to a New York Times story, he suffers from memory loss and is prone to violent outbursts.

The law requires school districts have concussion management guidelines starting this school year. The four-part process created by the legislation is recognize, remove, refer and return. Recognize mandates training for all coaches. Remove requires that an athlete be removed from play if a concussion is suspected. Refer demands that students who may have suffered a concussion be evaluated by a trained medical professional. Return says that once all symptoms have disappeared (and at least one day has elapsed since the injury) that medical clearance be given before an athlete can return to play.
 

By Laurent Bonczjik, The Newberg Graphic