Benson Concussion Institute (BCI)

BCI is an innovative, physician-led, multi-disciplinary, high-performance sport concussion program founded on over two decades of concussion research and clinical experience. Our insight tells us that no two athletes are exactly the same. Our pre-season baseline multi-modal neurologic assessments foster a precision medicine paradigm by assisting our clinical team to tailor medical decisions and management strategies to the unique characteristics of each athlete.

If an acute sport-related concussion is suspected, an athlete (or parent) merely calls our acute sport concussion “hotline” where they will be triaged by our Concussion Coordinator and expeditiously booked to see a sport medicine physician experienced in concussion. Concussed athletes will be comprehensively assessed, managed and followed regularly in clinic through recovery with written communication to team therapists and coaches, including written medical clearance to return to unrestricted practice / competition.

Our multi-disciplinary team is leaders in their respective fields and includes sport medicine physicians, sport therapists, exercise physiologists, neuro-optometrist, sport dietitian, sport psychologist, neuropsychologist, sport psychiatrists, sport audiologists, and clinician scientists. We understand athletes, coaches, parents and the demands of high-performance sport. You can be assured that you will receive the highest standard of evidence- informed care for your acute sport-related concussion needs.

Our comprehensive multi-modal baseline and post-concussion clinical assessments objectively measure multiple neurological systems and brain processes typically impacted by concussion, including:

1. Traditional Sport-Related Concussion Clinical Assessment Tools

• Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (Version 5)
• Computer Neuropsychological Testing (ImPACT)
• Visual Acuity Assessment
• King-Devick & Vestibular-Ocular Motor Screening Test (VOMS)

2. Sensory, Motor, Cognitive, Visual Gaze, Postural Stability Assessment

• Kinarm^TM Robotic Device

3. Autonomic Nervous System Assessment

• Cognitive and exercise response
• Cold pressor response (new this year)
• Isometric hand-grip response (new this year)

4. Vestibular / Postural Sway Assessment

• PROTXX^® clinical grade wearable sensor

5.  Functional Vision Assessment

• RightEye^TM - FDA approved healthcare technology designed to quickly and accurately assess vision and associated brain health (i.e., fixation, eye teaming, object tracking, eye-hand coordination, reaction time)

6. Electroencephalograph (EEG) and Event-Related Potential (ERP) brain response to a stimulus

• The NeuroCatch^® Platform, class II medical device (new this year)

• Pre-season (healthy) baseline and post-concussion clinical assessments using cutting-edge technology and techniques that are not covered under basic Alberta Healthcare Service plans
• On-line, password protected baseline appointment scheduling
• Direct access to our sport-concussion “hotline”, with clinical booking by our BCI program coordinator
• Weekly written updates for team therapists and/or coaches throughout the recovery process
• Assessment & management by a professional multi-disciplinary team quarter-backed by a sport medicine physician experienced with sport-related concussion
• Written medical clearance from a sport medicine physician to return to unrestricted training / competition
• Concussion education material on recognizing suspected concussions, with standardized high- performance acute sport concussion guidelines for your association
• Opportunity to participate in cutting-edge longitudinal applied clinical research projects that are aimed to continuously improve the standard of care for athletes sustaining a sport-related concussion
  • beginning June 2021, BCI is excited to provide the opportunity for your athletes to participate in a two-month neuro-performance training program prescribed by a multi-disciplinary team of leading high-performance professionals aimed at improving sport performance while at the same time reducing the risk of concussion and traumatic lower body injury (at no cost to athletes)
  • this is a unique opportunity for 50 athletes ages 15 years or older randomized to the training program and funded by BCI, Mitacs, Own the Podium, Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) Calgary and philanthropic donors.

• Direct clinic booking within 72 hours of injury with a sport medicine physician experienced in concussion for any suspected acute sport-related concussion via our concussion hotline
  • Comprehensive assessment with management recommendations tailored to the individual
• Weekly clinical follow-up through recovery and return to unrestricted training / competition
• Written medical updates provided for team therapists and/or coaches after every visit
• Written medical clearance from a sport medicine physician to return to unrestricted training

$150 per athlete (+ GST) with National Sport School's subscription

• includes standardized acute sport concussion protocol established for National Sport School
• no additional cost to athletes for baseline assessments, acute post-concussion assessment and management services as it pertains to National Sport School's 2021-2022 sport concussion protocol
• if an athlete experiences persistent symptoms (i.e., > 2 weeks for adults or > 4 weeks for athletes < 18 years) there may be coexisting and/or confounding factors that do not necessarily reflect ongoing physiological injury to the brain (e.g., neck injury, vestibular injury, oculomotor injury, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, anxiety, depression, etc.). In such cases, the consulting physician at BCI may recommend targeted management strategies (e.g., physiotherapy, vestibular therapy, vision therapy, exercise prescription, sport psychology services, sport audiology assessment, etc.) to specifically address the coexisting factors. Many of these management services are not covered under basic Alberta Healthcare Service plans, nor the BCI Subscription Program, and thus additional costs may apply if the athlete / family chooses to utilize these services.

BCI is located at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre within the Group23 Sports Medicine Clinic, 147 Canada Olympic Road SW, Calgary, AB, Telephone: 587-830-2240, Website: bciconcussion.ca