'Welcome development' - GAA bring in concussion baseline testing programme

UPMC has joined with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA), The Camogie  Association and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) to roll out a concussion baseline testing programme to inter-county players across 32 counties – with the goal of rapidly diagnosing and treating concussions in players. The initiative, which begins today, will cover football, hurling and camogie and players will participate equally across all codes. 

“UPMC is changing how health care is delivered in Ireland, and we are excited to use our world-renowned concussion treatment and testing experience to assist players across our national games,” said David Beirne, senior vice president of  UPMC International.

“As a global leader in concussion care, sports medicine and rehabilitation, UPMC is proud to support this player welfare programme along with our dedicated partners.”  

 “A considerable effort has been made in the area of education and awareness among players and coaches in relation to concussion and it requires constant vigilance" exclaimed Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy.

"This latest development between leading experts in UPMC and the Gaelic Games Associations is not only welcome but vital to ensure best practice is being followed. Although this is a programme that focuses initially on inter-county players our intention is to see the benefits of the  programme made available to clubs and to every player at every level as soon as possible.” 

Baseline concussion testing will be provided to all inter-county players across  Ireland, and these players will also be covered for concussion physician specialist treatment.

This will be delivered using the ImPACT concussion testing model, evidence-based, neurocognitive assessment software co-developed by UPMC concussion specialists. ImPACT, which stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment & Cognitive Testing, is an objective tool to support trained clinicians in making return-to-activity decisions following concussions. 

This announcement builds on UPMC’s pilot programme for baseline testing that was launched in 2021 for the GAA.

It also follows a recent conference in September between UPMC and GAMA (Gaelic Athletic Medical Association) in University College Dublin, where Michael “Micky” Collins, Ph.D., director of the UPMC Sports  Medicine Concussion Programme in Pittsburgh, and his colleagues presented on their latest research and treatment protocols.