Blog

When you hurt your head, it’s crucial to ensure that you do not have a concussion.

Concussion tests assess your brain function after a head injury. Most concussion tests consist of questionnaires or symptom checklists, explains Cleveland Clinic. 

The tests check for factors such as alertness, memory loss, the ability to focus, how fast you think and your ability to solve problems. They also check your balance and coordination. 

Concussion tests are one of the tools used to diagnose a concussion.

Avoiding A Concussion

Safety-proofing your home and your vehicle are effective means to avoid falling and hitting your head.

However, accidents can happen regardless of the preventive measures you’ve implemented. Injuries that can occur are varied and include a concussion.

Cleveland Clinic continues that you don’t have to lose consciousness to have a concussion. You or a family may have had it already, just from tripping and falling head first against a wall, if someone hits you against the head, or if you experienced jolting due to a substantial hit to your body. 

Classified as mild traumatic brain injury, that bump on your head could harm your normal brain function, leading to the following:

• Loss of balance and coordination, 
• Brain fog, 
• Memory loss, 
• Lack of focus and alertness, 
• Delayed thought processes, and 
• An inability to solve simple problems. 

According to MedlinePlus, some concussions can lead to long-term brain injury if left untreated. However, most people recover completely once they receive the appropriate treatment, with the primary therapy being physical and mental rest.   

Experts say that your active children are in the high-risk group for concussion. You may think they have a quick recovery after a bad fall, especially if they return to their playing. However, with their brains still growing and developing, it is best to check for concussions so that they can be treated immediately. 

Symptoms Of A Concussion

Every head injury should be taken seriously and treated as an emergency. This is especially true if the child or adult can’t be woken after being injured or has a temporary loss of consciousness. 

Some symptoms of concussion show up immediately, while others appear only later. The common symptoms are the following: 

• Mood changes and irritability, 
• Confusion,
• Difficulty concentrating,
• Nausea,
• Headache, and
• Dizziness.

Testing For A Concussion

Healthcare professionals do testing for a concussion after an injury to ascertain brain function. The tests involve noting changes in hearing, vision, balance, coordination, reflexes, memory, and concentration. 

Diagnosing A Concussion

The earlier a healthcare professional diagnoses a concussion, the better for planning and managing the condition and ensuring an effective recovery. 

Most of the tests are symptom checklists or questionnaires based on the following brain functions: 

• Alertness, 
• Memory, 
• Speed of thought processes and problem-solving, 
• Hearing, 
• Vision, 
• Balance and coordination, 
• Reflexes, 
• Concentration, and 
• The ability to recall information. 

The Tests

There are various tests but the most commonly used one is the following:

• The standardised assessment of concussion (SAC) is usually done in places such as on the sidelines of a sports event. The immediate mental status is assessed and checked for orientation, current memory, concentration, and delayed memory. The questions are about the date, month, year, day of the week, and current time. The follow-up question concerns memorising a list of words and recalling these, repeating numbers backwards, and using reverse order when saying the months of the year. 
• Other tests are Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) for neck evaluation and balance and a simple symptom checklist. And the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE) gathers details about the event, signs, and symptoms of concussion and a modified version of the SAC test. 

The outcome of the tests determines the treatment required.