A head-slapping idea

ALL TOO often, young athletes who suffer concussions start playing again too soon - either because of their own eagerness or because of the competitive zeal of coaches who want to see star performers back on the team.

Under these circumstances, a second concussion can be especially harmful, sometimes with long-lasting effects. To guard against such premature returns to the rink, court, or playing field, some Massachusetts high schools have bought special testing software that can signal when a person is not ready to risk another head injury. The tests should become standard in high school athletic departments.

A concussion is a serious brain injury, and the testing software indicates whether sufferers need more time to heal. Student athletes take the test before the season begins to establish a baseline on memory, problem-solving, and reaction exercises. After a head injury, a retest can establish whether the brain has returned to normal.

A supporter of the tests, which are also used by teams in the National Football and National Hockey leagues, is Dr. Robert Cantu, codirector of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital. But Cantu emphasized that the students should also undergo a neurologic exam and be monitored.

The tests should not be the only screening concussion victims undergo before resuming their sports. Cantu sees it as "one of the pieces of the puzzle." Used properly, he said in an interview Friday, "it can be very important."

The testing costs the town of Winchester $1,000 for all its participants in contact sports. That is a modest investment in their students' long-term neurologic health. The testing should become as common as mouth guards in all school sports.