In Oregon’s high desert, six high schools are leading the way in the prevention of the potentially deadly, 2nd Concussion Syndrome.

It happens when a brain which has suffered a concussion is injured a second time before the first has healed.

The danger is prevalent in football, where the culture of the game encourages players to shake off the injury.

It’s lasted for decades.

Steve Swisher remembers trying to make the diagnosis as a wrestling coach for Aloha High decades ago, a time he jokingly refers to as “the dark ages” of treating injuries.

“We used to put our fingers up in front of their eyes and see if they tracked…of course you couldn’t really tell,” he said.

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Now Swisher is superintendent of the Crook County School District in Central Oregon, which includes Crook County High School in Prineville.

And he’s an advocate for a brain assessment program called “ImPact “which checks athletes brains before the season and then again after a potential head injury.

“I’m a real fan of it,” Swisher said. “I think it will save some lives.”

ImPact was developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

In Central Oregon the ImPact system is implemented by a non-profit called “The Center Foundation.”

It was set up by a group of doctors who volunteered their time to help the areas’s high school athletes.

“The Center Foundation” provides a certified athletic trainer to each of the six schools every afternoon, along with a free medical clinic each Monday night for athletes with ongoing injuries and free preseason screening for the athletes. Four hundred took advantage of the free physical in August 2007.

The Center’s athletic trainers also attend all home games along with doctors who volunteer their time.

In addition, trainers run the ImPact brain assessment on each athlete before their sport begins, providing a baseline for each.

Carol Stiles, Executive Director for The Center Foundation says the assessment tests language, cognition, speed, how fast the brain responds to things. “Its like a physical for the brain,” she said.

The information is stored on a computer hard drive.

Athletes who sustain head injuries in any sport are assessed again within 24 to 72 hours, and their results are compared to their baseline.

Significant variations keep the athlete off the field.

It helps catch trouble that can not be seen, trouble some athletes would like to hide.

“The culture is to suck it up, don’t let your team down,” said Stiles. “But it can be deadly,” she said.

ImPact assessments happen each year at Sisters High School, Crook County High School, Mt. View High School, Bend High School, Summit High School and LaPine High School.

Last year, Stiles says trainers used the ImPact system to manage 85 concussions.

“It’s a wonderful prevention tool to keep that second and third impact from happening,” she said.