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If your child plays a contact or collision sport, one of the most valuable things you can do for their safety happens before an injury ever occurs: a baseline concussion test. At the New Jersey Pediatric Concussion Center, we use ImPACT - the most widely researched computerized concussion test in the world - to help protect young athletes and guide safe recovery when a concussion does happen.
ImPACT stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. It's an FDA-cleared, computer-based test that measures the brain functions a concussion most affects: attention, memory, processing speed, and reaction time. The test takes about 20–30 minutes and can be administered to athletes and non-athletes alike.
Importantly, ImPACT is a tool within a complete concussion evaluation - not a diagnosis on its own. A concussion is diagnosed clinically, and return-to-play decisions are made by a clinician who weighs ImPACT results alongside symptoms, a physical and neurological exam, and balance testing. Used that way, it adds objective data to what can otherwise be a subjective picture.
A baseline test is taken when your child is healthy, ideally before the season starts. It captures how their brain performs normally - their personal "starting line" for memory, reaction time, and concentration.
If a concussion happens later, clinicians can compare the post-injury test to your child's own baseline rather than to a general population average. That personalized comparison is far more precise, and it helps answer the two questions parents care about most: how significantly the brain was affected, and when it has truly returned to normal - before your child goes back to play.
Because children's brains develop quickly, we recommend that young athletes update their baseline every year.
We offer the right version of the test for your child's age:
Being able to test younger children accurately is one advantage of having a dedicated pediatric neuroscience team involved.
After a suspected concussion, a post-injury ImPACT test helps our team gauge how the brain is functioning and track recovery over time. We typically repeat the test through the recovery period, looking for scores to return to baseline as one of several signals that it's safe to advance through the return-to-play protocol.
A child should never be cleared for full contact on a test score alone - clearance is a clinical decision. But watching ImPACT scores normalize gives families and clinicians added confidence that recovery is genuinely on track.
Baseline testing is worth considering for any child who plays sports with a meaningful risk of head impact - football, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, cheerleading, field hockey, and more. Many schools and leagues now recommend or require it. If you're not sure whether it's right for your child, our team is happy to advise.
We provide ImPACT and baseline testing across five New Jersey locations - Morristown/Rockaway (Morris), Hackensack (Bergen), Hazlet (Monmouth), Garwood (Union), and Hamilton (Mercer). Pre-season is the ideal time to schedule a baseline.
About 20–30 minutes. It's a computer-based test that can be done in the office, and it's non-invasive and painless.
Coverage varies by plan and by whether the test is a pre-season baseline or part of post-injury care. Our office can review your specific coverage before your visit.
Standard ImPACT is designed for ages 12 and up. For children ages 5 to 11, we use ImPACT Pediatric, a tablet-based version built for younger kids.
For youth athletes, we recommend updating the baseline every year, because children's brains change quickly as they grow.
No. ImPACT is one tool among several. A concussion is diagnosed clinically, and a child can have a concussion even with a near-normal score - which is why testing is always combined with a symptom review and a clinical exam.
No. If there's no baseline, post-injury scores can be compared to age-matched normative data. A personal baseline simply makes the comparison more precise.
What you need to know about concussions, simplified.
Read more about concussions and the ImPACT test here.
NOTICE: This website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for a patient/physician relationship.
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