Concussion Baseline Testing

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1.6 million to 3.8 million people experience concussions during sports and recreational activities annually in the United States and Canada. In 2022, just over 573,000 Canadians aged 12 and older (about 2%) reported they suffered a concussion in the past year. People who participate in recreational and athletic activities are more susceptible.

At Foundation Physiotherapy, we are taking a proactive approach in managing the negative effects of concussion and offering Concussion Baseline Testing for individuals and teams.

The purpose of the baseline testing is to establish and store a baseline of coordination, reactive speed, cognitive (brain), oculomotor (eye movement) and balance functions prior to your sports season. In the event you sustain a suspected concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI), the same test is taken again by the athlete, and baseline results can be compared from before the injury to the athlete’s performance after injury.

This comparison helps indicate any change in coordination, reactive speed, cognition, balance and oculomotor function and is an important tool in an overall concussion management program and safely returning to normal activities. It provides areas to work on as part of a concussion rehabilitation program. Most importantly, comparing to baseline also allows the athlete’s healthcare team and coaches to determine the athlete’s readiness to return to sport.

Additionally, we do have normative data for balance, coordination etc., in the literature. However, some athletes may be “above the normative population”. Hence, they may perform similar to the average population post-concussion, but that does not mean they are at their baseline performance level. Essentially, baseline testing can provide an informed return-to-play decision process following a concussion. This decision process will be based, not only whether the concussion has resolved, but also whether the athlete has returned to their previous performance levels.

Our concussion team is led by Tina Homayouni PT who is specially trained in concussion baseline testing and treatment.

Concussion Baseline Testing is best done prior to the start of the sporting season, but can be done anytime during the season. Following the testing, your results are shared with the athlete and/or their parents to share with their family physician and healthcare team.