Banner Health opens state-of-the-art concussion center April 6, 2013

The Banner Concussion Center will host an open house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the center and learn more about the services that it will provide to the community.

The Banner Concussion Center is a new center that brings together a team of medical experts who have extensive experience in the management of concussions. This team of professionals consists of physicians, neuropsychologists, vestibular therapists, athletic trainers, audiologists and vision therapists who are all located in one facility. The Banner Concussion Center is committed and dedicated to providing cutting-edge and personalized care to those who have suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Banner Concussion Center approach
The Banner Concussion Center’s comprehensive approach to concussion care includes its concussion awareness and education program, neurocognitive testing, vestibular and balance integration testing and visual integration testing. The clinical team is made up of experts who are experienced in the diagnosis and management of concussion, including a readily accessible panel of subspecialists with experience in caring for people with post-concussion syndrome and other concussion complications. In addition, a multidisciplinary research team collaborates to research all facets of mild traumatic brain injury.

What is baseline testing?
Baseline testing for concussion is a form of testing used to gather objective information regarding an individual’s normal or baseline brain function. Since “normal” brain function differs from person to person, baseline testing gives clinicians a point of reference when later evaluating the neurological impact of an injury.
Baseline testing uses computerized programs to measure one’s ability to recognize, remember and react to words and pictures. The results provide a fingerprint of sorts to illustrate how the brain functions in a non-concussed state.
Since concussion also can impact balance and vision, Banner Concussion Center is one of few facilities in the country to offer comprehensive balance and visual integration testing to ensure a more complete and objective analysis of one’s overall brain function. Balance testing evaluates a person’s center of gravity and sway index, while vision testing measures eye movement and tracking.

For more information on the Banner Concussion Center, visit www.bannerhealth.com/BannerConcussionCenter