Chicago-based Athletico Physical Therapy has rolled out a new test that aims to provide an objective layer of information in supporting a patient’s safe return to sport or activity. The company’s Brain Network Activation (BNA) Testing is described in an Athletico media release as a 30-minute test that provides information to help physicians assess brain activity and guide a patient through recovery from a brain injury.
The test reportedly is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and available throughout greater Chicago as part of Athletico’s Concussion Management Program. BNA Testing is designed to provide a benchmark for individuals in a healthy, non-concussed state, such as at the start of the sports season or at any time during the preseason. If a head injury should occur, the test would be administered to assess brain activity post-concussion and compared to the individual’s healthy benchmark test.
Individuals aged 18 to 24 years old are the target population for the test, which uses a 64-electrode net placed on the head to analyze the brain’s electrical activity while simple tasks are performed.
Allan Van Every, vice president of clinical operations, Athletico, notes in the company’s media release that concussions previously were assessed only by subjective questions, symptom evaluation, or observed behavior. What differentiates BNA, Van Every says, is that it allows an understanding of how the brain is actually functioning at various stages of recovery.
“This adds an important layer of objective information to the decision-making process,” Van Every says. “Concussions are a serious injury amongst student athletes, and this test will allow medical professionals and parents to feel more confident about clearing them to return to play,” he adds.
[Source: Athletico]