Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
Published on: December 8, 2014
Investigation of baseline self-report concussion symptom scores
Scott G Piland1, Michael S Ferrara, Stephen N Macciocchi
1University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, Box #5142, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA. scott.piland@usm.edu
Context:
Self-reported symptoms (SRS) scales comprise one aspect of a multifaceted assessment of sport-related concussion. Obtaining SRS assessments before a concussion occurs assists in determining when the injury is resolved. However, athletes may present with concussion-related symptoms at baseline. Thus, it is important to evaluate such reports to determine if the variables that are common to many athletic environments are influencing them.
Objective:
To evaluate the influence of a history of concussion, sex, acute fatigue, physical illness, and orthopaedic injury on baseline responses to 2 summative symptom scales; to investigate the psychometric properties of all responses; and to assess the factorial validity of responses to both scales in the absence of influential variables.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Athletic training facilities of 6 National Collegiate Athletic Association institutions.
Patients Or Other Participants:
The sample of 1065 was predominately male (n = 805) collegiate athletes with a mean age of 19.81 +/- 1.53 years.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Participants completed baseline measures for duration and severity of concussion-related SRS and a brief health questionnaire.
Results:
At baseline, respondents reporting a previous concussion had higher composite scores on both scales (P
Conclusions:
A history of concussion, acute fatigue, physical illness, and orthopaedic injury increased baseline SRS scores. These conditions need to be thoroughly investigated and controlled by clinicians before baseline SRS measures are collected.
