Ben: Testing for Sports Concussion

Hear Ben and his mom, Becky, describe their experience with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Sports Concussion Program, what it was like to be tested, his results, and the hard decisions parents have to make to keep their kids' futures safe.

"Knowing what we know about concussions, it's been a constant worry of mine knowing that you can't sustain very many concussions without worrying about future lifelong implications," said Ben's mom, Becky. "The concussion program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock was so easy to deal with...we had our answer the following day after he had the ImPACT(TM) test done."

"I would definitely recommend baseline testing to my fellow players because I know that at our school we tend to go all out as hard as you can," Ben said. "if they had the baseline testing they'd be there so they could always go get checked out and they'd be a lot safer and it would help their future."

A sports concussion is far more serious than just bumping your head. New research has shown that there may be serious behavioral, physical, and cognitive changes in the future for those who have had more than one concussion (post-concussive syndrome).

You should not return to sports the same day as your suspected concussion. This is especially true for children under the age of 19. There could be serious side-effects, sometimes fatal, if an athlete who has had a concussion ends up playing with symptoms and then has a second concussion. The brain may literally shut down.

Do not return to play if you still have symptoms after hitting your head, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

For more information about the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Sports Concussion Program, please visit http://bit.ly/dh_concussion