LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Lawrence hospital has started helping younger athletes manage their risk for head injuries.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that on Sunday, Lawrence Memorial Hospital offered baseline concussion testing for a reduced fee to members of Sporting Kaw Valley. The soccer league consists of 10- to 14-year-old athletes.
The computerized test takes about 25 minutes, and it asks players to decipher patterns and shapes to measure their reaction time, concentration and memory. If a player suffers a concussion, this test gives physicians an idea of how the brain is doing compared with its baseline.
The hospital initially focused on older athletes. It previously has offered the test free of charge to student-athletes at two public and two private Lawrence high schools, along with Eudora High School.