Hospitals in New Jersey Step Up to Test Athletes for Brain Injuries

December 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) As advanced as many forms of medical treatment have become, personal injury victims still face challenges with full diagnosis and adequate long-term treatment for many conditions. Perhaps the foremost problematic type of injury is head trauma, due largely to the unpredictable nature of harm to the human brain and the possibility that symptoms are not always immediately recognizable.

Every American sports fan has become acutely aware of the persistent problems that can result from concussions, which are the most common form of traumatic brain injury. As governing bodies from high school athletic administrators to professional sports leagues have begun to take concussions much more seriously, public awareness of the lingering effects of a blow to the head has increased significantly.

Several New Jersey hospitals recently seized an important role in this movement by partnering with the non-profit organization Cleared to Play to make pre-testing of brain activity easily available to high school athletes. By establishing an individual record of each athlete's brain function, medical professionals can better assess a young person's recovery from a future concussion and prevent them from returning to play too early.

Three medical centers -- Hoboken University Medical Center, Christ Hospital and Bayonne Medical Center -- have agreed to make the same testing currently used by the NFL available to all student athletes in Hudson County. After a concussion diagnosis, the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) method uses baseline data collected before the season to determine the extent of recovery.

A premature return to competition can have dire results, because even a minor impact can have serious long-term effects on an injured brain. For similar reasons, people who suffer head injuries under any circumstances, from car accidents to pool mishaps, require full assessment of their injuries to understand the long-term implications.

Explaining a client's options for recovery of damages

After a person suffers a head injury in a slip-and-fall, vehicle crash or any other event, prompt medical treatment diagnosis is crucial. Just as important, ongoing monitoring of the person's developing symptoms can detect symptoms that may not have been immediately apparent.

Changes in personality, chronic headaches, difficulty with concentration and a host of other symptoms can indicate problems in brain function. While people commonly associate traumatic brain injury with a blow to the head, whiplash forces and other abrupt changes of direction can also cause harm to the brain due to impact with the skull. A head injury lawyer can explain the full significance of these factors and help clients explore their options for full compensation.

Article provided by Aiello, Harris, Marth, Tunnero, Pastor & Schiffman, P.C.
Visit us at www.aielloharris.com