Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Vision Training Methods for Sports Concussion Mitigation and Management
Published on: May 5, 2015
Attentional deficits in concussion
P van Donkelaar1, J Langan, E Rodriguez
1Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1240, USA. paulvd@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Primary Objective:
The purpose of the present study was to examine deficits in the alerting, orienting and executive components of attention in individuals who have recently suffered a concussion.
Research Design:
A group design was used in which the performance by individuals with concussion was compared to control subjects matched for age, height, weight and activity level.
Methods And Procedures:
Participants completed the Attentional Network Test (ANT) that breaks down attention into alerting, orienting and executive components. Reaction time and response accuracy were the dependent variables.
Main Outcomes And Results:
It was found that only the orienting and executive components of attention were affected by concussion, whereas the alerting component was normal. Furthermore, participants with concussion required a significantly longer time than controls to initiate correct responses.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that the orienting and executive components of attention are most susceptible to the effects of concussion.
