concussions san diego
Our Concussion Evaluation Explained
The modern approach to concussion involves evaluation of several key systems in the brain. After pathology has been ruled out, such as a brain bleed, a functional doctor should be consulted to address neurological deficits and associated symptoms.
Vestibular System
The vestibular system involves the inner ear and associated brainstem nuclei that help your brain process where your head is in space. This delicately calibrated system can send incorrect signals to the brain, resulting in tight neck muscles and dysequilibrium.
Ocular System
90% of brain injured patients are expected to have at least one eye movement disorder. A standard eye exam only checks your eyes’ physical health and ability to focus on stationary objects. It doesn’t measure dynamic vision skills such as eye movement and coordination.
Autonomic System
The brainstem's control of the autonomic nervous system can be altered during a concussive force. This system controls the automatic functions of the body: heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow, digestion, and the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic states.
Proprioceptive System
Concussions are often caused by whiplash injuries (hitting your head is not required). Damage to the ligaments and muscles in the neck can cause alterations in the feedback signals from the joints of the spine back up to the brain.
concussions san diego
Concussion Baseline Testing
Concussion baseline testing is crucial for athletes of all skill levels. It allows us to establish potential risk factors and neurological deficits that could impact an athlete’s performance. The Oculus Brain Centers concussion baseline testing consists of balance and ocular evaluations using gold-standard technology.
concussion baseline testing
Our baseline evaluation includes both balance and vision testing!
BTrackS Sport Balance
BTrackS™ Sport Balance provides sports medicine professionals with a quick, objective and reliable means of assessing athletes balance at baseline and after injury or concussion. This software has been shown to be the greatest concussion sensitivity of any balance testing instrument reported to date.
Right Eye Sports Vision
Hundreds of professional, amateur, collegiate, high school, and youth sports teams all use RightEye to systematically improve their team’s on-field performance and monitor dynamic visual function in the event of an injury.
Accurate and reliable results
Quick and easy to administer (~2 min)
Objective measure of postural sway
Twice as effective as the BESS protocol
Percentile ranking categorized by age/sex
Normative data from over 10,000 athletes
Research-grade eye tracking
Quick and Easy to Administer (~5 min)
Objectively identify visual impairment
Monitor recovery when athletes sustain an injury
Improve on-field performance
concussion baseline testing
How does it work?
Baseline Testing
Athletes complete their balance and ocular assessments to gather baseline data.
Review
Team doctors review results, identify players with visual impairments, and compare them to athletic norms.
Train
Athletes flagged with dynamic visual or balance impairments are assigned a customized at-home training program.
Follow Up
Athletes are reassessed after completing a training program or after suffering from a TBI-related injury.
concussions san diego
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Concussion Prevention
Our multifaceted concussion prevention program is designed to improve an athlete's peripheral vision and neck strength in order to decrease concussion risk.
EQ Brain Tracking App
Our clinic offers mobile concussion management EQ Active Brain Tracking app. A unique fusion of video games and neuroscience, EQ allows users to play games to track their brain activity and heal their brain injuries.
Still Have Questions?
Give us a call or text! We can help you schedule a complimentary phone call with one of our doctors to discuss your case and make sure we're the right fit.
concussions san diego
Concussion Related Blog Posts
Avoiding eye strain by eliminating artificial blue light
The systems that receive blue light are common areas that are damaged after a concussion or whiplash injury. Some patients can develop extreme sensitivity to light (and sometimes sound) when these areas are not working optimally. A comprehensive neurological evaluation is recommended if you are having light sensitivity or eye strain related to a concussion or even classic migraine headaches behind or around your eyes.
Sports Psychology and Brain Function
In order to reach peak performance, athletes MUST receive a functional evaluation to see which areas of their brain and body, if any, are working sub-optimally, causing deficits in athletic output. Just because you are strong or fast does not mean you are functioning at your best.
What we know about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
Of the 202 brains dissected, 111 of the brains belonged to former players in the N.F.L. while the others belonged to the Canadian Football League, semi-professional players, college players and high school players. Of those 111 brains belonging to former NFL players, all but one of them was found to have CTE.
The Link Between TBI and Hormones
Women injured during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, when progesterone concentration is high, had significantly lower Quality of Life and Health Index Scores than women injured during the follicular phase of their cycle or women taking oral contraceptives
