How do you know when you have a concussion? The short answer is that there is no diagnostic test that can tell you definitively. One big piece of the puzzle in concussion management is available at Dr. Dale Byrne: baseline testing. This form of testing is objective and taken at a pre injury level of functioning.
By doing baseline testing, there is a benchmark for comparison in the event a concussion occurs.
What Baseline Testing Includes
Dr. Dale Byrne has trained at Shift concussion management at Guelph and via the University of Laval. The comprehensive evaluation he provides includes
- Neurocognitive. Your memory, processing speed and reaction time are measured.
- Vestibular and Oculomotor Systems (VOMS). This tests the systems responsible for balance, vision and movement.
- Balance and posture stability. How steady you are can tell us which part of your brain may not be working as it should.
Athletes Welcome- Keeping Your Information On Record
If you’re an athlete, it’s vital that you recover from your concussion and can return to play quickly. Our additional measurements will include testing your reaction times and response to other patterns. When you become a new patient with us, we’ll perform baseline testing to evaluate the function of your brain.
We then have this information on file so that if you think you have a concussion, we can perform the testing again. Then, your results can be compared to your original testing, helping us to determine if you have a concussion and how to manage it.
If there are differences in your scores from your post-concussion assessment compared to your baseline test we will prescribe the appropriate rehab protocols to resolve your concussion symptoms as quick as possible.
Become a new patient today. Contact the team at Dr. Dale Byrne now!