Influence of Language of Administration on ImPACT Performance by Bilingual Spanish-English College Students

Previous research has suggested that there are performance differences on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery related to language of administration, such that scores are higher with the English than the Spanish version of the battery. This study extended those findings in a within-subjects design, evaluating neurocognitive performance of 58 bilingual English-Spanish-speaking individuals who completed ImPACT in both languages. Results revealed a significant multivariate effect of language of test administration, p < .01; partial η(2) = 0.23, with significantly better English language performance on Verbal Memory and Visual Motor Speed composite scores, but not Visual Memory, Reaction Time, or Total Symptom score. Results are discussed in relation to potential linguistic biases of the ImPACT and functional language dominance that may contribute to the lower scores. These results extend previous findings and suggest a need for separate normative data for Spanish-speaking individuals completing the ImPACT battery if baseline data are not present.