C.O., foundation offers concussion testing for teens

The start of the school year for students like Ben Capizzola means gearing up for classes and suiting up for the big game.

The soon-to-be eighth-grader and football player at Pacific Crest Middle School, is just one of the dozens of Central Oregon students preparing to stay safe this season by tackling a concussion baseline test provided by the Center Foundation in Bend.

“I think it can be dangerous,” Capizzola said Tuesday.

He was one of many students who take a cognitive test that takes a computerized “snapshot” of how a child’s healthy brain is functioning.

Lindsay Hagler, a certified athletic trainer at Mountain View High School, said this testing also helps spread awareness of the danger of concussions..

“The impact test is an objective evaluation tool, and it has six different modules,” Hagler said. “There is word memory, shape memory and different reaction-timed tests, and it’s evaluating the processing speeds of the kids’ brains and what their short term memory is and all of those things can be effected by concussions.”

According to the CDC, 15 to 20 percent of high school athletes receive a concussion in any given year. And if the athlete returns to play before the brain is fully healed, the child is at risk of a second impact concussion.

Ben’s dad, Dan Capizzola, said his son has not had a concussion and he is hoping he can prevent him from being a part of the statistic.

“The knowledge of concussions is so much better now than it used to be,” said Capizzola. “When I played, they would just throw you back into the game. I had multiple concussions playing, and I want better protection for Benjamin.”

Hagler said it’s recommended that student athletes complete the test every two years, to help ensure a healthy brain.

“The proper-fitting gear is important,” Hagler added. “You want a properly fitted helmet and proper tackling techniques for football is also really important.”

If you are interested in having your child take the Impact Concussion Baseline test, the next testing days will be Sept. 6th, Oct. 28th and Nov. 11 th . Call (541) 322-2399 for more information.