Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy NeededWhat Do They Measure?TypesInterpreting ResultsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Needed
What Do They Measure?
Types
Interpreting Results
Frequently Asked Questions
A concussion test is a type of noninvasive medical examination used to determine whether someone has had a concussion. A concussion is a temporary change in brain function that occurs due to atraumatic brain injury (TBI). It can cause problems with thinking and mood, and it can take weeks to years to heal from a concussion.
This article will discuss when a concussion test is needed, the types of tests for concussion, and how results are interpreted.
Verywell / Daniel Fishel
Why Are Concussion Tests Needed?
A mild or moderate TBI can cause damage to the brain that isn’t detectable withbrain imaging tests. Yet the damage can cause serious symptoms, including headaches, emotional changes, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems.
Additionally, the effects of a concussion can be vague and hard to describe. Concussion testing can help identify and quantify these changes.
If you don’t have time to heal or if you experience further brain injuries while recovering from a concussion, the effects can be prolonged and worsen. That is one reason why concussion testing is crucial—if you or your child has had a concussion, it’s important to get adiagnosisand follow medical recommendations to avoid further harm to the brain.
Getting a concussion diagnosis can help with setting expectations. Work colleagues, teachers, family, and even the person who experienced a concussion might not understand why a person is not feeling the way they normally feel or cannot do what they normally do.
Often, concussion testing can assess how the effects of a concussion are improving over time. As you improve, you will be able to participate in rehabilitation andfollow your doctor’s instructionsfor gradually getting back to work, school, and other activities.
When to See a Doctor or Seek Emergency HelpIf you have had a head injury, get immediate medical attention if you experience:VomitingChange in consciousnessSeizuresorconvulsionsWeakness, especially on one side of your bodyVision changesTrouble speaking or communicatingDifficulty with walking or balanceCall your doctor if you experience:Trouble sleeping or sleeping too muchMood changesHeadaches or neck sorenessDizzinessDifficulty with concentration or memory
When to See a Doctor or Seek Emergency Help
If you have had a head injury, get immediate medical attention if you experience:VomitingChange in consciousnessSeizuresorconvulsionsWeakness, especially on one side of your bodyVision changesTrouble speaking or communicatingDifficulty with walking or balanceCall your doctor if you experience:Trouble sleeping or sleeping too muchMood changesHeadaches or neck sorenessDizzinessDifficulty with concentration or memory
If you have had a head injury, get immediate medical attention if you experience:
Call your doctor if you experience:
Concussion tests can measure subtle aspects of brain function, such as visual or auditory (hearing) perception and response speed.These abilities can be impaired due to the damage of a concussion.
A TBI can be associated withserious injuries, like a skull fracture, swelling,bruise, or a bleed in the brain. These types of injuries can be detected with imaging tests, and they may require surgical or other interventions.
Generally, brain damage from bleeding or swelling would cause focal neurological symptoms and signs, such as partial vision loss, numbness, and weakness.
Concussion testing measures more subtle problems, like slow decision-making. You can have a concussion along with detectable brain injuries or in the absence of detectable brain injuries.
Types of Concussion Tests
Concussion tests include:
After a concussion, you will likely also have a physical examination, includinga full neurological examination. This is most often done in a doctor’s office. A concussion should not cause changes in a physical examination.
Concussion tests measure subtle changes in brain function, but they do not rule in or rule out a concussion. Your doctor would make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, physical examination, and your concussion test results.
For example, if you broke several bones and are taking powerful pain medications, your concussion test results can be abnormal even if you did not experience a concussion.
The results of your concussion testing can be compared with your results prior to the head injury. Often, baseline testing is required for participation in certain sports leagues, both at the professional and amateur levels. A worsened score can be a sign that your head injury has impaired your brain function.
Sometimes testing can be done within a few hours of the head trauma and then again a few days later.
If you did not have measurements taken prior to your head injury, your responses can be compared with the average results of people your age, although that type of comparison is not as reliable as a comparison with your own pre-injury results.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
If you have had a head injury and think you might have had a concussion, you should get medical attention. Most of the time, people recover from a concussion, but it takes time. Testing can help establish the extent of your injury and help assess your improvement as you are recovering.
What Is Post-Concussion Syndrome?
There are several different concussion tests that are used to determine whether someone has had a concussion. The tests may assess symptoms and/or measure balance, memory, concentration, eye movements, and more.
You should not test for a concussion at home. If you (or a member of your household) have symptoms after a head trauma—such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, decreased balance or coordination, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating—you need to see a doctor.
Some concussion screening tests can take as little as two or five minutes. A more extensive test, possibly lasting an hour, would be needed if your screening test is abnormal or if you have persistent symptoms.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haider MN, Cunningham A, Darling S, Suffoletto HN, Freitas MS, Jain RK, Willer B, Leddy JJ.Derivation of the Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination risk of delayed recovery (RDR) score to identify children at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms.Br J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 11:bjsports-2020-103690. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-103690Joyce AS, Labella CR, Carl RL, Lai JS, Zelko FA.The Postconcussion Symptom Scale: utility of a three-factor structure.Med Sci Sports Exerc.2015 Jun;47(6):1119-23. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000534Kaufman MW, Su CA, Trivedi NN, Lee MK, Nelson GB, Cupp SA, Voos JE.The current status of concussion assessment scales: A critical analysis review.JBJS Rev.2021 Jun 8;9(6). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.20.00108Krause DA, Hollman JH, Breuer LT, Stuart MJ.Validity indices of the King-Devick Concussion Test in hockey players.Clin J Sport Med.2021 May 7. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000938Langevin P, Frémont P, Fait P, Roy JS.Responsiveness of the post-concussion symptom scale to monitor clinical recovery after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury.Orthop J Sports Med. 2022;10(10):23259671221127049. doi:10.1177/23259671221127049
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Haider MN, Cunningham A, Darling S, Suffoletto HN, Freitas MS, Jain RK, Willer B, Leddy JJ.Derivation of the Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination risk of delayed recovery (RDR) score to identify children at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms.Br J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 11:bjsports-2020-103690. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-103690Joyce AS, Labella CR, Carl RL, Lai JS, Zelko FA.The Postconcussion Symptom Scale: utility of a three-factor structure.Med Sci Sports Exerc.2015 Jun;47(6):1119-23. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000534Kaufman MW, Su CA, Trivedi NN, Lee MK, Nelson GB, Cupp SA, Voos JE.The current status of concussion assessment scales: A critical analysis review.JBJS Rev.2021 Jun 8;9(6). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.20.00108Krause DA, Hollman JH, Breuer LT, Stuart MJ.Validity indices of the King-Devick Concussion Test in hockey players.Clin J Sport Med.2021 May 7. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000938Langevin P, Frémont P, Fait P, Roy JS.Responsiveness of the post-concussion symptom scale to monitor clinical recovery after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury.Orthop J Sports Med. 2022;10(10):23259671221127049. doi:10.1177/23259671221127049
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Haider MN, Cunningham A, Darling S, Suffoletto HN, Freitas MS, Jain RK, Willer B, Leddy JJ.Derivation of the Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination risk of delayed recovery (RDR) score to identify children at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms.Br J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 11:bjsports-2020-103690. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-103690Joyce AS, Labella CR, Carl RL, Lai JS, Zelko FA.The Postconcussion Symptom Scale: utility of a three-factor structure.Med Sci Sports Exerc.2015 Jun;47(6):1119-23. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000534Kaufman MW, Su CA, Trivedi NN, Lee MK, Nelson GB, Cupp SA, Voos JE.The current status of concussion assessment scales: A critical analysis review.JBJS Rev.2021 Jun 8;9(6). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.20.00108Krause DA, Hollman JH, Breuer LT, Stuart MJ.Validity indices of the King-Devick Concussion Test in hockey players.Clin J Sport Med.2021 May 7. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000938Langevin P, Frémont P, Fait P, Roy JS.Responsiveness of the post-concussion symptom scale to monitor clinical recovery after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury.Orthop J Sports Med. 2022;10(10):23259671221127049. doi:10.1177/23259671221127049
Haider MN, Cunningham A, Darling S, Suffoletto HN, Freitas MS, Jain RK, Willer B, Leddy JJ.Derivation of the Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination risk of delayed recovery (RDR) score to identify children at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms.Br J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 11:bjsports-2020-103690. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-103690
Joyce AS, Labella CR, Carl RL, Lai JS, Zelko FA.The Postconcussion Symptom Scale: utility of a three-factor structure.Med Sci Sports Exerc.2015 Jun;47(6):1119-23. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000534
Kaufman MW, Su CA, Trivedi NN, Lee MK, Nelson GB, Cupp SA, Voos JE.The current status of concussion assessment scales: A critical analysis review.JBJS Rev.2021 Jun 8;9(6). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.20.00108
Krause DA, Hollman JH, Breuer LT, Stuart MJ.Validity indices of the King-Devick Concussion Test in hockey players.Clin J Sport Med.2021 May 7. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000938
Langevin P, Frémont P, Fait P, Roy JS.Responsiveness of the post-concussion symptom scale to monitor clinical recovery after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury.Orthop J Sports Med. 2022;10(10):23259671221127049. doi:10.1177/23259671221127049
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