Concussion testing
The most objective concussion test available — get it done early
CT and MRI usually come back normal after a concussion. This test measures cranial nerve function directly, takes about 30 minutes, and is available same-day across our clinic network.
What is the best concussion test?
No blood test or scan confirms a concussion. The most objective option available today is ocular motor testing — measuring how precisely your eyes move. A concussion disrupts the cranial nerves that control eye movement, and that disruption is measurable even when a CT or MRI looks completely normal. It is scored across three domains and read by a board-certified neurologist.
Compare the options
Why imaging usually misses a concussion
Each test answers a different question. Only one of them measures function.
| Test | What it measures | What it contributes after an mTBI | Instrument-recorded? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CT scan | Bleeding, swelling, skull fracture | Rarely — usually normal | Yes, but for the wrong target |
| MRI | Brain structure and soft tissue | Rarely — usually normal | Yes, but for the wrong target |
| Symptom questionnaire | What you report feeling | Records the symptom burden | Patient-reported, and essential |
| Ocular motor testing | How precisely the eyes move | Measurably abnormal in concussed groups | Yes — instrument-recorded |
This is why so many concussions are missed: the emergency department rules out the dangerous structural injuries, the scan comes back clean, and the patient is discharged being told they are fine. In one study of emergency department patients meeting CDC criteria for mild TBI, 56% did not receive the diagnosis.1
How it works
What the test actually measures
Three domains of eye movement, scored separately. Normal and abnormal results are clearly separable.
Example scores: normal vs abnormal
Illustrative only. These are not one patient’s results, and the numbers are not a published clinical scale. They show the shape of a normal and an abnormal result, nothing more.
| Domain | Normal | Abnormal |
|---|---|---|
| Pursuits | 88 | 19 |
| Saccades | 79 | 5 |
| Fixations | 97 | 26 |
A real report states the device used, the domains measured, the values recorded and the interpreting neurologist. It is signed and dated.
What makes the measurement hard to game — and what invalidates it
Smooth pursuit, saccadic accuracy and fixation stability are largely involuntary, so the specific pattern of an injured trace is difficult to imitate convincingly. That is the measurement’s strength over a questionnaire, where every answer is whatever the patient chooses to report.
It is not tamper-proof, and we do not claim it is. Poor cooperation, drowsiness, sedating medication, alcohol, uncorrected refractive error, prior vestibular or oculomotor disease, migraine, ADHD and dyslexia can all degrade a trace on their own. That is exactly why the operator reviews signal quality during the session, why those conditions are screened and recorded, and why a neurologist reads the trace against the clinical picture instead of reporting a number.
Performance and limits
What this measurement does and does not establish
Stated plainly, because a measurement offered as objective evidence should come with its limits attached.
What the evidence supports
What it does not establish
- It does not diagnose a concussion on its own. mTBI is a clinical diagnosis; this is one objective input to it.
- The published evidence above is group-level — concussed cohorts versus control cohorts. It is not a sensitivity and specificity figure for an individual patient, and we do not present one.
- An abnormal result does not identify a cause by itself, and a normal result does not exclude injury.
- It says nothing about whether a symptom is permanent, or about what any given patient will be able to do in a year.
Timing
Why sooner is better than later
Day 0 — injury
The mechanism does not have to be dramatic. Whiplash counts. Losing consciousness is not required.
As soon as you can — get measured
A test now shows where you actually are rather than assuming you will be one of the quick recoveries. About 30 minutes, and same-day appointments exist for it.
Weeks — trajectories diverge
Two people with the same injury on the same day are often in very different places by now. Which one you are is a question about you, not about the average.
Repeat as needed — the direction of travel
Each test stands on its own, and testing again also shows whether things are moving the right way. That is what guides how long care continues.
Who should be tested
We recommend testing anyone with symptoms
After a vehicle accident
After a sports collision
After a fall
Warning signs worth testing for
Cognitive
Emotional
Physical
Sleep
The anatomy
Why the eyes reveal what scans cannot
The cranial nerves that control eye movement travel a long path from the brainstem to the eye socket. Three features make them unusually vulnerable to a concussion:
A long, exposed route leaves them open to injury along its whole length. Confined bony passages make them susceptible to microcompression. And a fragile blood supply exposes them to transient ischemic injury.
Damage anywhere along that path degrades the precision of eye movement in ways a person cannot consciously fake or mask — which is exactly what makes the measurement objective.
Common questions
Concussion testing, answered
What is the best test for a concussion?
No single test confirms a concussion — it is a clinical diagnosis. The most objective measurement available today is ocular motor testing, which records how precisely your eyes move. A concussion disrupts the cranial nerves that control eye movement, and that disruption is measurable even when imaging looks completely normal. It is recorded across three domains — pursuits, saccades and fixations — and read by a neurologist alongside your symptoms and examination.
Will a CT scan or MRI show a concussion?
Usually not. CT and MRI scans are excellent at finding bleeding, swelling and skull fractures, which is why emergency departments use them. But a concussion is a functional injury rather than a structural one, so most mild traumatic brain injuries produce unremarkable imaging. A normal CT or MRI does not mean you did not sustain a concussion.
How soon after a head injury should I be tested?
As soon as you can. Recovery after a concussion is not one timeline — it varies between people, and age, sex and previous concussions all show an association with whether symptoms persist, though no single factor predicts any individual's course (Systematic Reviews 2023;12:127). Because your own trajectory cannot be predicted in advance, waiting to see whether it settles is a bet that you are one of the people it settles quickly for. Testing early measures where you actually are, so that if something is wrong it is found and treated now rather than months from now. A later test is still worth doing and is read on its own terms.
How long does the test take, and does it hurt?
Plan for about 30 minutes, which covers the test itself and the paperwork. It is completely non-invasive — no needles, no radiation, no dye. You look at targets on a screen while the equipment records how your eyes move.
Can I get tested if I did not lose consciousness?
Yes, and you should. Most concussions involve no loss of consciousness at all. You also do not need to have hit your head directly — whiplash alone can cause one, because the injury comes from the brain moving inside the skull.
Where can I get a concussion test?
NeuroGlympse provides same-day testing across a nationwide partner clinic network via teleneurology, so you are not waiting months for a specialist appointment. Call (504) 370-3910 or enroll online and our care team will confirm the nearest location and time.
What do I get afterwards?
A report interpreted by a board-certified neurologist who personally reviewed your recorded traces — not an automated score. It names the interpreting clinician, identifies the device used, states what was measured and what limited the session if anything did, explains what the findings mean and what should happen next. It is yours, and you decide who else receives it.
How much does it cost?
It depends on your coverage and circumstances. We accept Letters of Protection and limited up-front deposits for services. Contact our intake team before your appointment and we will set the arrangement up.
References
Every figure on this page traces to a source below, so the claims can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- 1.Powell JM, Ferraro JV, Dikmen SS, Temkin NR, Bell KR. Accuracy of mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2008;89(8):1550–1555.
- 2.Comparative study. Oculomotor, vestibular, and reaction time effects of sports-related concussion: video-oculography in assessing sports-related concussion. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.
- 3.Prospective study. Oculomotor dysfunction may not subside upon clinical resolution of sport-related concussion. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
- 4.American Family Physician review. UCH-L1 and GFAP testing (i-STAT TBI Plasma) for the detection of intracranial injury following mild traumatic brain injury. American Family Physician. 2022;105(3):313.
- 5.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pilot survey analysis. Screening for traumatic brain injury: findings and public health implications. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.
- 6.Déry J, Ouellet B, de Guise É, Bussières ÈL, Lamontagne ME. Prognostic factors for persistent symptoms in adults with mild traumatic brain injury: an overview of systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews. 2023;12(1):127.
- 7.McFadyen CA, Zeiler FA, Newcombe V, Synnot A, Steyerberg E, Gruen RL, Rosand J, Palotie A, Maas AIR, Menon DK. Apolipoprotein E4 polymorphism and outcomes from traumatic brain injury: a living systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2021;38(8):1124–1136.
- 8.Lawrence DW, Comper P, Hutchison MG, Sharma B. The role of apolipoprotein E epsilon-4 allele on outcome following traumatic brain injury: a systematic review. Brain Injury. 2015;29(9):1018–1031.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Prevalence figures are presented as the source reports them, including confidence intervals and ranges; a single number would imply more precision than the evidence supports.
Get tested sooner rather than later
Same-day appointments across our clinic network, about 30 minutes, read by a board-certified neurologist. Letters of Protection accepted.