Concussion program launches for athletes

EDGEWOOD, Ky - St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine Center has launched a new concussion program designed to give college and high school athletes a baseline evaluation before season games begin this fall.

The center has a new computerized test that times word recall and memory. The scores along with a physical exam and balance tests measures cognitive data on athletes.

The tests create a baseline preseason so if there is an injury on the field, the information can be compared after an injury.

"If their baseline scoring system demonstrated they had 3 corrections in a 20 second time frame and post concussion we noticed they had 9 corrections in the same 20 second testing of the same balance tests then we know we have an issue to be concerned about," said Scott Helton, Clinic Manager at St.Elizabeth Sports Medicine Center.

The new testing is another tool for doctors since a concussion rarely can be seen through medical imaging.

"The neuropsychiatric testing picks up real subtle cognitive changes that we weren't picking up before in our physical exam or our questioning in our history. So these subtle changes are going to help us prevent someone from going back to early," said Dr. Mike Miller, Medical Director at St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine Center.

So far ten Northern Kentucky high schools and Thomas More College have enrolled in this new program.

It's open to individual athletes too.

"As an athlete I want to be out there every time so if I can take this test and rule out a concussion later on in the season then I would be happy to do that," said Aaron Osborne, Thomas More soccer player.

For more information, you can contact St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine at 859-301-5600.