Cobb athletes to get concussion testing

By Joel Provano

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cobb County high school athletes will be tested this year as part of a concussion-management program, the school system announced Tuesday.

The testing, to be funded by WellStar Health System, will be done prior to the fall sports season and may be administered to more than 8,000 athletes, according to a statement from WellStar and Cobb schools.

Students from all sports -- not just contact sports -- are eligible to have the testing, the statement said. Students involved in cheerleading activities can also undergo the test, which takes about 20 minutes.

Athletes will be tested for a baseline concussion reading. If an athlete suffers a concussion, the baseline reading will be compared to a post-concussion reading taken by a physician to help determine when it is safe for the athlete to return to competition.

"Even at the high school level, concussions are a common occurrence in competitive sports, and we are still learning about their serious effects," said Steve Jones, assistant athletic director for Cobb County. "Until now, we haven't had an effective means of determining when an athlete who suffers a concussion is safe to return to competition," he said.

The total cost of the tests is estimated to be $10,000.