Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 2, 2026
10:31
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
14.0K
Measuring Soldier Performance During the Patrol-Exertion Multitask: Preliminary Validation of a Postconcussive
Matthew R Scherer1, Margaret M Weightman2, Mary Vining Radomski2
1Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program, Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|May 14, 2017
Summary
The Patrol-Exertion Multitask (PEMT) effectively distinguishes healthy military personnel from those with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) symptoms, showing significant differences in reaction time and visual clarity. Further research is recommended to refine this tool for return-to-duty assessments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Military Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) poses significant challenges for military personnel, impacting their ability to return to duty.
- Developing accurate and functional assessments is crucial for evaluating recovery and readiness after mTBI.
- The Patrol-Exertion Multitask (PEMT) is a novel, multidomain assessment designed for active duty military personnel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the discriminant validity of the PEMT in distinguishing between healthy service members and those with persistent postconcussive symptoms.
- To assess the PEMT's utility as a functional, return-to-duty clinical assessment for military personnel.
Main Methods:
- A measurement development study was conducted in a nonclinical indoor testing facility.
- Participants included healthy controls (n=51) and military personnel with mTBI residual symptoms (n=33).
- Known-groups discriminant validity was assessed by comparing PEMT performance across four subtasks: IED identification, auditory reaction time, perceived exertion, and visual clarity during a simulated patrol.
Main Results:
- The PEMT demonstrated significant between-group differences in visual clarity (P<.001) and auditory reaction time (P=.013 early, P=.002 late).
- Performance on IED identification and rating of perceived exertion did not significantly discriminate between the groups.
- Auditory reaction times were notably delayed in the mTBI group throughout the assessment.
Conclusions:
- The PEMT shows promise as a naturalistic, multidomain assessment for discriminating between healthy military personnel and those with mTBI residual symptoms.
- The findings support the use of the PEMT for evaluating functional recovery and guiding return-to-duty decisions.
- Further research is warranted to refine the PEMT and explore its application in both military and civilian return-to-work contexts.
