concussion baseline testing

OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the relative contribution of recent or long-term heading to neuropsychological function in amateur adult soccer players. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Soccer players completed a baseline questionnaire (HeadCount-12m) to ascertain heading during the prior 12 months (long-term heading, LTH) and an online questionnaire (HeadCount-2w) every 3 months to ascertain heading during the prior 2 weeks (recent heading, RH). Cogstate, a battery of six neuropsychological tests, was administered to assess neuropsychological function...

BACKGROUND: The King-Devick (K-D) test of rapid number naming is a reliable visual performance measure that is a sensitive sideline indicator of concussion when time scores worsen (lengthen) from preseason baseline. Within cohorts of youth athletes <18 years old, baseline K-D times become faster with increasing age. We determined the relation of rapid number-naming time scores on the K-D test to electronic measurements of saccade performance during preseason baseline assessments in a collegiate ice hockey team cohort...

OBJECTIVE: The Concussion in Sport Group guidelines recommend a multifaceted approach to help clinicians make return to sport decisions. The purpose of this study was to identify the most common multifaceted measures used to define clinical recovery from sport-related concussion in young athletes (high school and/or college level) and to summarise existing knowledge of criteria used to make return to sport decisions. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: The PubMed (MEDLINE), SPORTDiscus and Embase electronic databases were searched from 1 January 2000 to 1 March 2017 by three independent reviewers...

OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other academically-relevant diagnoses have been suggested as modifiers of neurocognitive testing in sport-related concussion, such as Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). These preexisting conditions may suppress ImPACT scores to the extent that they are indistinguishable from low scores because of poor effort. The present study hypothesized that student athletes with history of ADHD or academic difficulties produce lower ImPACT composite scores and are more likely to produce invalid protocols than those without such conditions...

CONTEXT:   A change in reaction time is one of various clinical measures of neurocognitive function that can be monitored after concussion and has been reported to be among the most sensitive indicators of cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE:   To determine the timeline for clinically assessed simple reaction time to return to baseline after a concussion in high school athletes. DESIGN:   Observational study. SETTING:   Athletic training room...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms [Apolipoprotein E (APOE), APOE promoter, catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), and dopamine D2 receptor] that have been implicated in concussion susceptibility and/or cognitive ability in collegiate student-athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Neuroscience laboratory at Elon University. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fifty division I collegiate student-athletes (66 women, 184 men) from various sports...

Importance: American football is the largest participation sport in US high schools and is a leading cause of concussion among adolescents. Little is known about the long-term cognitive and mental health consequences of exposure to football-related head trauma at the high school level. Objective: To estimate the association of playing high school football with cognitive impairment and depression at 65 years of age. Design, Setting, and Participants: A representative sample of male high school students who graduated from high school in Wisconsin in 1957 was studied...

CONTEXT: It is unclear whether individuals with a history of single or multiple clinically recovered concussions exhibit worse cognitive performance on baseline testing compared with individuals with no concussion history. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of concussion history on baseline neurocognitive performance using a computerized neurocognitive test. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL, and psycINFO were searched in November 2015. The search was supplemented by a hand search of references...

School-based concussion management programs cover thousands of young athletes, yet there is little in the way of research to assess program processes or outcomes. This study examined the referral patterns of consultants working with ten high school concussion management programs. In addition to the number of referrals made to specialists, other potential outcome variables were explored. The sample included over 5,000 athlete-seasons and 298 concussions managed directly by certified athletic trainers. All programs used computerized neuropsychological testing (both baseline and post injury)...

The present study examined the short-term test-retest reliability of the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) variables with healthy 11- to 14-year-old athletes. 53 young athletes (Mage = 12.4 years, 9 female) were administered the ImPACT on two separate occasions two weeks apart. Participants were instructed to complete the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) and the baseline computerized neurocognitive test during both the baseline and retest phases. Intraclass correlation (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and reliable change index (RCI) were used as reliability metrics...

This technical report details the results of an uncontrolled study of EyeGuide Focus, a 10-second concussion management tool which relies on eye tracking to determine the potential impairment of visual attention, an indicator often of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Essentially, people who can visually keep steady and accurate attention on a moving object in their environment likely suffer from no impairment. However, if after a potential mTBI event, subjects cannot keep attention on a moving object in a normal way as demonstrated on their previous healthy baseline tests...

BACKGROUND: Clinicians typically rely on neuropsychological and balance tests to track concussion recovery. The aforementioned tests imply impairments that are based on performance, but these tests do not directly measure brain physiology throughout concussion recovery. Because of these issues, an objective biomarker that can index severity and the recovery timeline is needed. Moreover, the number of concussions occurring at a recreational level requires the biomarker to be easily administered in a cost effective manner, and the results easily interpreted...

BACKGROUND: One common component of concussion rehabilitation is a computerized cognitive test free of concomitant physical demands. Healthcare professionals may be able to provide more patient-centered care after a diagnosed concussion if specific areas of impairment are identified and treated, such as the physical aspect of neurocognitive function. Hypothesis/Purpose: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of a unique combination of neurocognitive assessment tools currently utilized in concussion assessments into one single, inclusive instrument that measures both neurocognitive function and physical capability...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during the transitional movement task of gait initiation (GI) in individuals acutely after a concussion. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: University research center. PARTICIPANTS: A population-based sample of participants (N=84) divided into 2 equal groups of acutely postconcussion and healthy student athletes. INTERVENTION: Participants were tested on 2 occasions: a preinjury baseline test and then the concussion group was retested acutely postconcussion and the healthy student athlete group again at a similar time...

In an effort to understand the factors that contribute to heterogeneity in outcomes often associated with mTBI in youth, this study examined the role of premorbid differences in cognitive reserve on post-concussive symptoms (PCS), molecular markers, and treatment response. Male and female rats matured in one of three environmental conditions (Stress, Enrichment, Control), received a mTBI in adolescence, and were randomized to melatonin or placebo treatment. All animals underwent a behavioural test battery designed to examine PCS...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the electroencephalographic (EEG) Brain Function Index (BFI) for characterizing sports-related concussive injury and recovery. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred fifty-four (354) male contact sport high school and college athletes were prospectively recruited from multiple locations over 6 academic years of play (244 control baseline athletes and 110 athletes with a concussion). METHODS: Using 5 to 10 minutes of eyes closed resting EEG collected from frontal and frontotemporal regions, a BFI was computed for all subjects and sessions...

BACKGROUND: Baseline visual acuity (VA) loss from static to dynamic head conditions assessed using the Dynamic Visual Acuity Testing (DVAT) have not been established in NCAA football players. DVAT assesses the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) which is measured in Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR). Decreased VA beyond baseline measures may detect VOR impairment and impact treatment protocols and assist in return to play decisions post-concussion. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: To establish normative VA mean scores during a static head posture as well as dynamically during the DVAT with a head speed of 150 deg/s in the pitch (vertical) and yaw (horizontal) planes rotating 20 degrees in each direction...

CONTEXT: Baseline testing is a common strategy for concussion assessment and management. Research continues to evaluate novel measures for potential to improve baseline testing methods. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to; 1) determine the feasibility of including physiological, neuromuscular and mood measures as part of baseline concussion testing protocol, 2) describe typical values in a varsity athlete sample, and 3) estimate the influence of concussion history on these baseline measures...

Importance: The Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT3) is a postconcussion sideline assessment tool measuring symptoms, cognition, and balance in preadolescent children. Minimal normative baseline data exist to aid decision making in clinical and athletic settings. Objective: To collect normative baseline data for the Child SCAT3 in a large cohort of young athletes. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 31 to August 12, 2014, at various sporting events (basketball, soccer, baseball, and swimming) in Central Wisconsin among children 5 to 13 years of age who were English-speaking and did not report a lower leg injury within the past 2 months or a concussion within the past month...

AIM: To evaluate the evidence regarding the management of sport-related concussion (SRC) in children and adolescents. The eight subquestions included the effects of age on symptoms and outcome, normal and prolonged duration, the role of computerised neuropsychological tests (CNTs), the role of rest, and strategies for return to school and return to sport (RTSp). DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (OVID), Embase (OVID) and PsycInfo (OVID)...