University of Portland Will Use Brain Health App for Athletes

The University of Portland will use a mobile cognitive assessment tool called HitCheck to monitor athletes remotely. The tool, which is also used as a sideline concussion test, will help athletic trainers and team physicians baseline and pre-screen athletes in a socially distant manner.

HitCheck will enable the university’s sports medicine staff to track student-athlete cognitive health, share reports, and access player data via a mobile app. The technology uses standardized cognitive testing methods that it translates into quick mobile assessment exercises that can be taken as soon as an injury is suspected.

Each test measures a specific aspect of brain performance, such as coordination, memory and reaction time. Quantitative results are then compared with prior performance to highlight changes in brain functions that may require medical attention.

Portland has roughly 300 student-athletes, but it does not field a football team. The school competes in the NCAA’s Division I West Coast Conference, which decided earlier this month to postpone its fall sports due to the pandemic.