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| Athletes are encouraged to consult with their Doctor if they suffer or suspect a concussion. |
CONCUSSIONS ARE AS INDIVIDUAL AS YOU ARE, AND REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT
An effective concussion management program takes an individualized approach because Athletes react differently to the injury and recover in their own way.
A recent international symposium addressing concussions in sports defines a concussion as “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces -- either a direct blow to the head, face or neck; or a blow elsewhere on the body with an ‘‘impulsive’’ force transmitted to the head.”(1) In other words, a concussion is a brain injury caused by traumatic force. Concussion symptoms range from mild to severe and may appear right away, or may take hours or days to present.
“From a practical standpoint, no two injuries are exactly the same and the traumatic forces will be different,” said David Darby, CogState chief medical officer and co-creator of the Axon Sports Computerized Cognitive Assessment Tool (CCAT). “Even individual Athletes react differently to subsequent concussive injuries that cannot be predicted by the severity of the force.”
In addition, the most recent Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (1) agreed “to abandon the Simple versus Complex terminology and retained the concept that most (80 to 90 percent) concussions resolve in a short period (seven to 10 days), although the recovery time frame may be longer in children and adolescents.”
That’s why an individualized, proactive care plan is warranted. And, Axon Sports offers a valuable tool for Doctors to use to aid decisions about returning Athletes to school and competitive play.
The Axon Sports CCAT is designed for comparing an individual’s performances at different times. In this way it can assist judgments about cognitive changes between After Injury and Baseline test results.
After an Athlete is concussed, the Axon Sports CCAT allows Doctors to monitor the Athlete's cognitive abilities against that Athlete’s Baseline reading. Due to its sensitivity, the Axon Sports CCAT can detect even the mildest of cognitive impairments that other methods used in concussion management are unable to identify (such as Athlete reported symptoms or some paper and pencil tests) (2).
Athletes like the Axon Sports CCAT because the tests are short (8-10 minutes), and motivating. Doctors appreciate the immediate results in formats that ease communication with Athletes and Parents.
“Sports-related concussion is an area of active research,for good reason." added Darby, "For instance, we don’t fully understand why the same individual can have different outcomes in consecutive head injuries.”
Most Athletes fully recover from concussions and return to their active lives. Knowing when it is safe to return to play differs from Athlete to Athlete and from head injury to head injury. That’s why the combination of a Baseline and After Injury Test result is part of an effective concussion management program to aid an individualized care plan.
- McCrory et al, Consensus statement on concussion in sport – The 3rd International Conference on concussion in sport, held in Zurich, November 2008.
- Makdissi M, Darby D, Maruff P, Ugoni A, Brukner P, McCrory PR. Natural history of concussion in sport: markers of severity and implications for management. Am J Sports Med 2010; 38:464-471.
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| Sample of Axon Sports banner ad on MomsTeam.com website. |
MOMS TEAM AND AXON SPORTS TEAM UP FOR YOUTH
MomsTeam.com® and Axon Sports have partnered to educate and inform Parents, Coaches, and Teachers of our young Athletes about the benefits of Baseline testing as part of a comprehensive concussion management program. It is our joint mission to provide the necessary information and education to increase awareness of and access to concussion Baseline testing within the sports community.
 MomsTeam.com is a highly targeted online publication for parents (grandparents, coaches etc) with children in sports. Since 2000, MomsTeam has been the pioneer in concussion education and information and provides comprehensive, timely and timeless information on many subjects that sports parents need. For two important articles, visit:
THE NEW FACE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Tammy Gardner is the new face of Customer Service at Axon Sports. She was recently promoted from a Customer Service Representative to Customer Service Manager. Before joining Axon Sports, she worked as a community liaison for a non-profit youth organization.
Tammy is the leader of Axon Sports’ enthusiastic and knowledgeable Customer Service Department. “Our Customer Service Representatives understand the importance of concussion management and the effects an injury can have on an individual, family and team. Our representatives want each customer to feel comfortable and know that every question is valid, legitimate, and will be addressed in a time sensitive manner." Tammy urges contact with customer service if there are any questions regarding account creation, Baseline and After Injury testing, sharing test results, parental consent, or a request for general information.
Tammy is proud to work for Axon Sports, a company that is improving concussion management by developing an innovative approach that allows Baseline concussion tests to Athletes as young as 10 years old. As an avid football fan, she has seen how concussions have come to the forefront of media attention. Axon Sports empowers Athletes and their Parents to actively participate in concussion management programs by making Baseline testing fast, affordable and accessible.
Axon Sports Customer Service Representatives are available by phone (877-399-2966), live chat at axonsports.com or email customerservice@axonsports.com.
Doctors / Athletic Trainers
AXON SPORTS NEW FUNCTIONALITY ALLOWS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY IN ASSESSMENTS
The Axon Sports CCAT is now an even more manageable resource for assessing an Athlete after an injury. We’ve made it convenient and flexible for you to not only compare tests after an injury, now you can choose your comparator test, as well!
Choosing which Baseline test is used for Comparison: When you view an Advanced After Injury test report, you now are able to select the Baseline test by date for comparison. You can also choose which tasks to display as well as the spacing on the x-axis to be either equally spaced or time spaced to make different analyses.
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| Axon Sports After Injury Test Report |
You can find more information regarding this new function in our Resource Center, A Medical Guide to the Axon Sports CCAT.
In The News
SOUTH BEND HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES BENEFIT FROM BASELINE TESTING
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| Photo courtesy of Barbara Allison |
South Bend, Ind., Athletes benefit from the work being done by DeAnne Kwieran, facility manager at Memorial Hospital Sports Medicine, and Athletic Trainers Kendra Weber (Washington High School) and Jenny Dyszkiewicz (Riley High School). Read more in the South Bend Tribune.
Parents
FOUR EASY WAYS TO PROVIDE PARENTAL CONSENT
To allow your minor Athlete to use the Axon Sports Computerized Cognitive Assessment Tool (CCAT), we require Parents or Guardians to review the Terms of Use, including our Privacy Policy, and grant consent. You can now do this in one of three ways:
- Provide your digital signature at the same time the Athlete registers for an account at axonsports.com
- Respond to an email message generated by our system when your Athlete requests that we contact you via email and provides a valid Parent email address
- Call our Customer Service Department (877-399-2966) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CST to provide verbal consent.
- Sign a paper consent form provided to you by a third party (Doctor, School, etc)
If you do not provide consent within seven days, we will deactivate the Athlete’s account. This may affect your Athlete’s ability to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities. You’ll find the purpose of the Axon Sports CCAT a very important one -- It is designed to establish and store a Baseline of cognitive function that a Doctor can use to compare your Athlete’s After Injury performance on the same test in the event they sustain a suspected concussion or other traumatic brain injury. Your Doctor will use this tool as one indication that your Athlete has recovered and can safely return to play. To learn more, visit About Axon Sports or About the Axon Sports Test.
THE ROLE OF COGSTATE IN AXON SPORTS
To reach younger, aspiring Athletes and to address the movement in sports to expand the role of cognitive testing, CogState Ltd partnered with Quixote Investments to create Axon Sports LLC. CogState remains the backbone of Axon Sports’ technology by overseeing the scientific integrity of the Axon Sports’ technology. At the same time, CogState continues to conduct meaningful research and development in sports neuropsychology to ensure the Axon Sports Computerized Cognitive Assessment Tool (CCAT) remains at the forefront of concussion Baseline and After Injury testing.
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CogState, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, is a true innovator in cognitive performance testing technology and has diligently worked over the past 10 years to create a scientifically valid, reliable and easy to use system to aid Doctors managing concussion injuries in sport. Its efforts have led to more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, multiple scientific presentations and cognitive testing of thousands of professional and elite athletes throughout the world including Athletes participating in FIFA, UK Rugby Football League, teams in The Australian Football League and South African Rugby.
Axon Sports is the exclusive distributor of the CogState test in North America. Its online system, the Axon Sports CCAT, is available for Doctors, Parents, Athletic Trainers, Coaches, and Team Administrators to help manage concussions in Athletes as young as age 10.
Ask The Expert
Q: My son has taken the Axon Sports concussion Baseline test twice, but hasn’t earned an acceptable result. Now what do I do?
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| James Moriarity, M.D., serves as a Sports Medicine Consultant for Axon Sports and is the head team physician at the University of Notre Dame |
Dr. Moriarity:
Best effort concussion Baseline test results are acceptable for future comparisons. These are indicated by a green checkmark at the top right of a report. In my experience, some Athletes (perhaps 10 percent) will not get an acceptable Baseline result the first time they use the Axon Sports CCAT—even after they’ve taken a Practice test. I have found these Athletes usually only need a little encouragement to complete the test faster or more accurately the next time. Often, Athletes are too focused on “getting all the answers right” and end up sacrificing speed for accuracy. Since a successful test takes into account both accuracy and speed, I suggest your son take the test in a quiet room and focus on both speed and accuracy: in other words, “go fast carefully.” You may also refer to the Baseline Test Report for guidance on which tasks need improvement (look again for green checkmarks or red Xs under Test Results.
Please Note: Athletes can repeat the test (without an additional charge) until they get an acceptable Baseline result. See Tips for Successful Test Taking for guidance.
March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month
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