ImPACT Applications Supports Concussion Studies at Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

PITTSBURGH and BOSTON, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ImPACT Applications, Inc., developer of FDA-approved ImPACT®, FDA-approved ImPACT Pediatric®, and ImPACT Passport, announced today it will donate $600,000 over the next three years to the Accelerate Knowledge/Improve Care: Concussion Research Program established by the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The funding will be used by Boston-based scientists from the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School to conduct research to advance knowledge and improve health care for student athletes who sustain sport-related concussions.

"We hope that this donation will help the Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital further the understanding and knowledge of sport-related concussions. We look forward to learning of the new advances in the exploration into brain injuries," said Michael Wahlster, chief executive officer of ImPACT Applications. "ImPACT Applications has a proven commitment to science, research, and innovation and we are happy to further this commitment with our donation to such an important program."

The funding from ImPACT Applications is unrestricted, allowing the team at Accelerate Knowledge to use the money for any studies it chooses and deems most important to overall concussion research. ImPACT Applications' donation will be instrumental in funding young investigators and developing a diverse multidisciplinary team to capitalize on large investments and research by analyzing pre-existing databases in new and innovative ways. This includes completing new and innovative clinical research studies, translating research into health care practices, and promoting collaboration across an international network.

"The primary goal of Accelerate Knowledge is to harness the energy and the synergy of a diverse group of multidisciplinary researchers from around the world to rapidly, efficiently, and effectively tackle specific clinical research questions that improve health care," said Dr. Grant L. Iverson, Ph.D., Director and Principal Investigator of Accelerate Knowledge; Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; Director, Sports Concussion Program, MassGeneral Hospital for Children; and Director, Neuropsychology Outcome Assessment Laboratory, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. "With this donation, we can conduct targeted research designed to improve health care in a timely and cost-efficient way with advanced resources. We are grateful to ImPACT Applications for this support and what it will enable."

Currently there is no approved standard for diagnosing or treating concussions. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have described sport-related concussions as an epidemic. That is why more research is needed to better inform the medical community on how to manage this injury, and how to provide the most effective treatment and rehabilitation services for student athletes who are slow to recover. ImPACT Applications' donation directly supports the research initiatives of Accelerate Knowledge and will promote a better understanding of sport-related concussions.

Dr. Ross Zafonte, Senior Vice President Medical Affairs Research and Education at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Earle P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, highlighted the significant contribution, noting, "The unrestricted grant from ImPACT Applications provides an infrastructure to drill down on a number of specific things. We can study the recovery patterns and pre-existing factors that influence recovery times to help us better understand what happens to young people who have been exposed to multiple concussions. Using this knowledge, we can better understand how to improve diagnostics and target therapies for particular subgroups of people."

For more information, about the Accelerate Knowledge/Improve Care Concussion Research Program, visit http://spauldingrehab.org/research-and-clinical-trials/concussion/.

About Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Founded in 1971, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston is one of the largest rehabilitation facilities in the United States, and is ranked the 5th top rehabilitation hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report. As the official teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Spaulding is at the forefront of research in advances in rehabilitative care. In April 2013, Spaulding opened a new 132-bed facility in Charlestown which is a national model for environmental and inclusive design. With a wide range of inpatient programs and 25 outpatient centers throughout Eastern Massachusetts, A member of Partners HealthCare, Spaulding strives to continually update and improve its programs to offer patients the latest, high-quality care through its leading, expert providers. Spaulding has been awarded a Model Systems designation in three specialty areas- Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Burn Injury Rehabilitation- by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.

For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.

About Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School has been synonymous with excellence in education, research and clinical care for generations. Since the school was established in 1782, faculty members have improved human health by innovating in their roles as physicians, mentors and scholars. They've piloted educational models, developed new curricula to address emerging needs in health care, and produced thousands of leaders and compassionate caregivers who are shaping the fields of science and medicine throughout the world with their expertise and passion.

For more information, please visit www.hms.harvard.edu.

About ImPACT Applications

ImPACT Applications, Inc. is the maker of ImPACT® (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test), the most widely-used and most scientifically-validated computerized concussion management tool available and the newly-launched ImPACT Pediatric, both the first of their kind to earn FDA clearance. More than 7,400 high schools, 1,000 colleges and universities, 900 clinical centers, 475 Credentialed ImPACT Consultants, 200 professional teams, and select military units choose ImPACT to assist in the management of concussion. Since 2006, ImPACT has been administered more than 12 million times.

For more information, visit www.impacttest.com.

SOURCE ImPACT Applications, Inc.