Baseline testing is a pre-season exam conducted by a trained healthcare professional. Baseline tests are used to assess an athlete’s balance and brain function (including learning and memory skills, ability to pay attention or concentrate, and how quickly he or she thinks and solve problems), as well as for the presence of any concussion symptoms.
Baseline testing generally takes place during the pre-season—ideally prior to the first practice.
So, why should you have baseline testing done? Because if the athlete is injured in the form of concussion during the season, we now have data to compare their suspected concussion against. Seeing a wide difference in the Baseline test results will show how severe or mild the new concussion might be.