Enhanced local concussion testing is now available to determine the extent of head injuries.
Scott & White Round Rock's Comprehensive Concussion Center tests and treats concussions, which up to 20 percent of athletes involved in contact sports sustain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Scott & White officials said the center is the only such certified one in Central Texas. If left untreated, concussions can cause more permanent brain damage should another traumatic hit to the head occur, said Dr. Rick Schultz, chairman of S&W Round Rock's orthopedics department, in a statement.
Testing takes no more than a half-hour, and uses a computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion. The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Training test, or ImPACT, also tracks injury recovery progress and brain activity that CT scans and MRIs cannot, according to Scott & White.
