App Users Help Researchers Build National Concussion Database

LUTZ, Fla.— Coaches and parents who use PAR’s new Concussion Recognition and Response™ (CRR) app are helping to build an incident database, the first of its kind in the U.S., which will be a source of vital data for researchers studying concussion in young athletes.

The CRR is an app that allows coaches and parents to recognize the signs and symptoms of a possible concussion in a young athlete and respond quickly and appropriately to this potentially serious medical condition. In addition to recording the signs and symptoms they observe, users of the CRR also record other important information about the incident, including the athlete’s age, sex, the sport played, the location of the incident, and the reporter’s role (e.g., parent, coach). If the user chooses to opt in, he or she can share that information (the identity of the athlete remains anonymous, of course) for use in developing the concussion database.

The national concussion incident database is being built by CRR authors Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, and Jason Mihalik, PhD. Gioia is a pediatric neuropsychologist and the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he directs the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program. Mihalik is an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina; he currently serves as the co-director of the Matthew A. Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center.

Designed for the iPhone®, iPad®, iPod® Touch, Android device or tablet, the CRR is available for download from the Apple® App Store or Android Market.

PAR is committed to supporting concussion research. We are pleased to be a part of the concussion database project, and we encourage CRR users to opt in and become a partner in this important endeavor. In addition, PAR donates a portion of all proceeds from the sale of the app to support research at the Children’s National Medical Center and the Matthew A. Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center.

Founded in 1978, PAR is a leading publisher of assessment instruments, software, and other related materials. Over the past three decades, PAR has earned a reputation for providing customers with innovative assessment solutions and unparalleled customer service.