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Updated: May 11, 2026
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Objectively Assessing Sports Concussion Utilizing Visual Evoked Potentials
Published on: April 27, 2021
Long-term attenuated electrophysiological response to errors following multiple sports concussions
Louis De Beaumont1, Maude Beauchemin, Christelle Beaulieu
1Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois Rivières, Trois Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada. Louis.Debeaumont@uqtr.ca
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|May 25, 2013
Summary
Multiple concussions significantly reduce the error-related negativity (ERN) amplitude in athletes, impacting cognitive control and performance monitoring. These cumulative effects persist even in simple attention and memory tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Concussions can have long-term effects on cognitive function.
- Performance monitoring, a key aspect of cognitive control, may be particularly vulnerable.
- The error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural marker sensitive to errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cumulative effects of multiple concussions on cognitive control.
- To assess the impact of concussions on performance monitoring using the ERN.
- To examine these effects in visual-spatial attention and short-term memory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Recorded the error-related negativity (ERN) waveform component.
- Utilized visual-spatial attention and visual short-term memory tasks.
- Compared ERN amplitude in multiply concussed athletes versus control athletes.
Main Results:
- Multiply concussed athletes exhibited significantly reduced ERN amplitude compared to controls.
- This reduction was observed in both attention and short-term memory tasks.
- Findings suggest cumulative effects of concussions on ERN.
Conclusions:
- Multiple concussions cumulatively impair cognitive control mechanisms involved in performance monitoring.
- ERN amplitude reduction indicates altered evaluation of cognitive performance post-concussion.
- These deficits are evident even in low-conflict cognitive tasks.
