Concussion Test at Home: A DIY Method to Assessing Injury

With concussions on the rise, it’s essential to know whether or not you should seek out medical treatment. Concussions can present various symptoms, some more concerning than others, and this article aims to help you find the proper care. We’ll cover troublesome symptoms and show you how to perform a concussion test at home. This will help you distinguish whether or not you should worry and provide you with the most relevant information to bring to your healthcare provider.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion happens when the brain rapidly accelerates and decelerates inside the skull. The abrupt stopping or twisting of the brain can cause temporary electro-chemical imbalances in the brain, altering function in whatever area is damaged. The recovery process can vary depending on the damage’s severity and how quickly you find the correct form of therapy. While some concussions don’t require immediate medical attention, it’s essential to identify the symptoms that indicate immediate medical attention. If you exhibit any of the following symptoms following a concussion, seek medical care immediately, as they should be seen as “red flags.”

– Rapid Worsening of Symptoms
– Loss of Consciousness
– Severe Headache (precisely one you’ve never experienced before in terms of pain level and type of pain)
– Ongoing Nausea and vomiting
– Seizures

Documenting Symptoms of a Concussion

Before taking the concussion test at home, it’s a good idea to document your symptoms. This will help you decide what type of specialist to see and whether or not immediate care is required. Below are some common symptoms following a concussion.

– Disorientation and Brain Fog
– Feeling Uncoordinated or Clumsy
– Speech Difficulties and Slurred Speech
– Nausea or vomiting
– Headache
– Light Headedness and Dizziness
– Blurry Vision and Difficulty Tracking Objects
– Light Sensitivity
– Sound Sensitivity
– Tinnitus
– New Depressed or Anxious Mood
– Trouble Sustaining Attention
– Memory difficulties

Make a list of your symptoms and rate each one on a scale of 1-10. Reassess every few days to determine which symptoms are improving and which may need additional support to manage.

Conducting a Concussion Test at Home

While an at-home assessment will not replace a comprehensive exam performed by a qualified specialist, it will give you a baseline of where to start. It can provide your doctor with valuable information. The at-home test includes assessments for memory, executive function, gait, eye tracking, autonomic function, balance, and cerebellar function.

1. Memory Assessment

– Search for “random word generator” or click this link. Start with three and move up to 5 words. Generate the words, wait :30, and see if you can recall all of them. Try to avoid repeating them over and over until the :30 is up. Another test is to try to recall the events leading up to now. If you’re unable to do either of these, it’s likely your working memory is impaired. This will lead to challenges sustaining attention, staying organized, and holding information in your mind for an extended period. Assuming there is no outright damage to your frontal lobes, certain forms of cognitive rehab are helpful if you have challenges here.

2. Executive Function Test

Below are a few tests to see if your executive functioning has been affected. Try any or all of them, and if you cannot complete them, make a note and bring that information to your doctor.

-Say the alphabet backward
-Count backward by seven, starting at 100
-Spell your entire name backward

3. Gait Assessment

Gait is a vital assessment post-concussion because it is usually an unconscious process. Film yourself walking in a straight line and look for the following:

-Moving side to side
-Symmetrical arm swing on each side
-Normal cadence

Now walk and say every other letter of the alphabet and look for the same things. If you’re unable to walk normally while performing this task, your gait patterns are disrupted, and you’re using cognitive effort to walk around. This can affect other symptoms of concussion, such as brain fog and executive function.

4. Eye Tracking

Eye tracking issues are common post-concussion and are particularly problematic if you work on a computer. Driving, scrolling, and reading can be affected if your eyes don’t track or focus well. Below are a few tests to tell whether you should seek specialized care for eye-related issues.

1: Hold a pen before you and move it slowly, side to side, ten times. Do the same thing up and down. Note any dizziness, eye strain, headache, or other symptoms.

2: Hold your thumbs out directly before you, about 6 inches apart. Quickly look back and forth between your thumbs as soon as possible for 10 seconds. Note any dizziness, eye strain, headache, or other symptoms.

3: Hold your thumb out directly in front of you and slowly bring it to your nose, then back out to the starting position. Note if it gets blurry or if you’re unable to keep it in focus as it comes in or goes out. Note any symptoms.

4: Hold your thumb out directly in front of you, and shift your focus between the thumb and something past your thumb in the distance. Switch back and forth between the near target and far target, taking note of any symptoms.

If any or all of these tests give you symptoms, you likely have an eye-tracking issue. Functional neurology or vision therapy are great options in these cases after you’ve ruled out more serious problems with your medical provider.

5. Autonomic Function

It is common for autonomic function to suffer following a concussion. Autonomic function means the processes that happen automatically without you thinking, such as blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and digestion. The term “dysautonomia” is a catch-all term used to describe an imbalance in the autonomic system. The test below is a generalized method for assessing one form of dysautonomia called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or “POTS”. POTS is commonly encountered post-concussion, and it should be noted that the test below doesn’t effectively screen for other diagnoses under the umbrella term “dysautonomia.”

Take a seat and rest for 1 minute. After 1 minute, measure your heart rate. Once you have a baseline, stand up and wait for 2 minutes. Re-check your heart rate. Suppose you get lightheaded when you stand up, or your heart rate is more than 20 points higher than when you were seated. In that case, this is a generalized method to assess autonomic function. Bring this information to your doctor, who will likely refer you for a more thorough assessment to pinpoint the location and cause of the dysfunction.

6. Balance

Balance is a common symptom, especially in injuries where the head rotates upon impact. Checking balance is relatively straightforward; all you need is a pillow and something to hold on to, like a countertop or chair. This is to ensure your safety and prevent falls. You’ll perform four tests, each telling you something different about balance.

1: Feet together, eyes open. Stand for :30 and take note what direction you sway and whether or not you need to stick your arms out to stay balanced.

2: Feet together, eyes closed. Stand for :30 and take note what direction you sway and whether or not you need to stick your arms out to stay balanced.

3: Stand on a pillow, feet together and eyes open. Stand for :30 and take note what direction you sway and whether or not you need to stick your arms out to stay balanced.

4: Stand on a pillow, feet together, and eyes closed. Stand for 30 seconds and note what direction you sway and whether or not you need to stick your arms out to stay balanced.

Take note of which setting caused the most significant degree of instability. Each test is designed to challenge a different component of balance. The eyes, vestibular, and muscular systems communicate into the balance centers, and knowing which is most compromised will help your healthcare provider make the best decision possible.

7: Cerebellar Function

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinated movement and making sure the brainstem functions are doing their job correctly. Damage to this area will lead to dysfunction in multiple systems and affect your ability to move the way you want. Here are a few tests for the cerebellum.

1: Stand with your hands straight out in front of you and rapidly alternate pronating and supinating them (palms down and then palms up). Look for any uncoordinated movement or an inability to perform this task for 30.

2: Put your pointer fingers together. Close your eyes, separate your fingers about 12 inches, and then return them together, trying to match them up. Take note of how many times it takes to match them accurately.

3: Take your left heel and slide it slowly down your right shin. Perform this three times and then do the other leg. Note any difficulty performing it smoothly or an inability to keep your heel on the shin the entire way down.

Conclusion

This at-home concussion test will give you a rough baseline of what areas of your brain have been affected by a concussion. Note: this is not a comprehensive test and should not be used as the sole method to diagnose a concussion. These tests will give you an understanding of whether or not specialized care is needed, and the information you glean from them will help your healthcare provider direct you to the most appropriate form of care.

If you have questions about where to turn after a concussion, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our doctors. We’ve treated hundreds of complex concussion cases and can help piece together the missing pieces in your recovery.

*Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Patients are advised to consult their medical provider or primary care physician before trying any remedies or therapies at home.