The effects of previous concussions and inadequate recovery time
HeadZone, a company that specializes in concussion baseline testing, published a list of concussion facts relating to children. Below are some of the more interesting ones:
- Long term decreases in GPA occur when children have a history of two previous concussions.
- Children with prior concussions are three times more likely to suffer an additional concussion.
- Children with at least three prior concussions take longer to recover from the next concussion – greater than one month in most cases.
- Participants 18 years old and younger account for 95 percent of all catastrophic second-impact concussion syndromes.
- 90 percent of children return to classes within four days of suffering a concussion, which is generally considered to be too soon. Two-thirds of those have a drop in their GPA for two months.
HeadZone offers eye tracking, memory, and cognitive tests that range from $15 to $35, depending on the age group.
I’ve personally witnessed the physical and academic impacts on some of my children’s’ teammates who suffered concussions while playing soccer.
