Neurologic Return-to-Play Assessment | Pittsford, NY
Medical clearance confirms structural stability. It does not confirm neurologic readiness.
Reaction timing. Visual control. Balance under speed. Exertion regulation. Cognitive processing under pressure. These determine safe return to competition.
An athlete may be symptom-improved and still demonstrate measurable deficits in:
Return decisions should be based on measurable capacity, not symptom absence alone.
A 60–90 minute comprehensive neurologic performance assessment designed to determine true competitive readiness.
Objective baselines are recorded within our Clinical Outcome Registry, providing a structured data trail that tracks performance across domains and over time.
Each domain is evaluated independently and under combined demand.
Eye tracking accuracy, convergence, saccadic precision, and visual processing speed under demand.
Gaze stability, spatial orientation, and balance control across static and dynamic conditions.
Simple and choice reaction time, cognitive processing latency, and decision speed under load.
Cardiovascular and neurologic response to progressive physical demand and recovery rate.
Stability of motor and cognitive output when physical and mental demands are applied simultaneously.
Processing accuracy and response consistency as cognitive complexity increases.
We assess how performance changes as physical and cognitive demand increase.
Readiness is demonstrated under load, not at rest.
No Constraint Present
Readiness is confirmed with data.
Constraint Identified
Capacity is restored before advancing demand.
Common questions about sports concussion evaluation and return-to-play clearance
A sports concussion readiness evaluation is a neurologic assessment that identifies which systems — vestibular, oculomotor, cerebellar, autonomic, or cognitive — are still impaired following a concussion. Rather than relying on symptom checklists alone, we use objective functional testing to determine whether your nervous system is physiologically ready to return to sport.
Sideline tools like ImPACT or SCAT are screening instruments designed for acute triage. They do not identify which neurologic domains remain impaired or whether the athlete is physiologically ready for contact. Our evaluation uses domain-specific functional testing and objective outcome measures to make that determination with clinical precision.
Yes. Symptom resolution does not equal neurologic recovery. Athletes can be symptom-free at rest while still demonstrating measurable deficits in dual-task performance, vestibular-visual integration, or reaction time under load. These deficits increase injury risk and are only detectable through objective functional testing.
Yes. Following evaluation, we provide a clinical summary documenting neurologic status, objective findings, and our clinical determination regarding return-to-sport readiness. This documentation is appropriate for review by athletic trainers, team physicians, and school administrators.
The initial evaluation typically takes 60-90 minutes and includes a comprehensive neurologic history, domain-specific functional testing (vestibular, oculomotor, cerebellar, cognitive, autonomic), and outcome measure scoring. Results are reviewed with the athlete and family before the visit concludes.
Schedule a neurologic readiness evaluation at our Pittsford office.