King-Devick test normative reference values for professional male ice hockey players

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sports Medicine
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• The King-Devick (K-D) test assesses processing speed, visual tracking, and saccadic eye movements.
• It shows potential as a supplemental tool for concussion screening.
• Limited normative data exists for this test, particularly in athletic populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative data for the K-D test in professional male ice hockey players.
• To investigate the relationship between K-D test performance and factors like age, education, and concussion history.

Main Methods:

• The K-D test was administered to 185 professional ice hockey players during preseason.
• Data collected included age, education, concussion history, and K-D test scores across two trials.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, ICC, and Pearson correlation.

Main Results:

• The average K-D test score was 40.0 seconds (SD = 6.1s).
• K-D test performance demonstrated good reliability between trials (ICC = 0.92).
• No significant associations were found between K-D test scores and age, education, or prior concussion history.

Conclusions:

• Normative K-D test values for professional male ice hockey players are reported.
• The K-D test is a reliable measure in this population.
• Age, education, and concussion history did not influence K-D test performance in this cohort.