Head Injury Screening Tests Approved

Assess brain function after possible concussions

By Scott Roberts

Monday, August 22, 2016

MONDAY, Aug. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- New computer software to assess the brain's function after a traumatic head injury have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test and a similar test for children are meant to be used by doctors to assess signs and symptoms of head injuries that could be concussions, the agency said Monday in a news release. The software runs on laptop or desktop computers.

Traumatic brain injuries account for more than 2 million trips to the emergency room in the United States each year, the FDA said. These injuries contribute to the deaths of some 50,000 people in the U.S. annually.

The adult test is approved for people ages 12 to 59, and the pediatric test for children ages 5 to 11, the agency said.

The tests' Pittsburgh manufacturer, ImPACT Applications, submitted more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in support of their approval, the FDA said.

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