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Development and Implementation of a Multi-Disciplinary Technology Enhanced Care Pathway for Youth and Adults with Concussion
Published on: January 20, 2019
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Slowed driving-reaction time following concussion-symptom resolution
Landon B Lempke1, Robert C Lynall1, Nicole L Hoffman2
1UGA Concussion Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Journal of Sport and Health Science
|September 22, 2020
Summary
Concussed individuals show slower driving reaction times (RT) even after symptom resolution, indicating lingering impairments that may affect driving safety. Standard neurocognitive tests do not fully capture these driving-specific deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sports Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Concussion can lead to persistent deficits in reaction time (RT) and cognitive function, potentially impairing driving ability.
- Limited research has directly assessed driving RT in individuals post-concussion using simulated driving scenarios.
- This study aimed to compare driving RT between concussed and control groups and explore its relationship with traditional neurocognitive testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare driving reaction time (RT) in simulated scenarios between individuals with a history of concussion and healthy controls.
- To examine the relationship between driving RT and various domains of computerized neurocognitive testing (CNT) in both concussed and control participants.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 14 concussed individuals and 14 matched healthy controls.
- Participants completed a driving simulator assessment and a computerized neurocognitive testing (CNT) battery (CNS Vital Signs) within 48 hours of symptom resolution.
- Driving RT was measured across three simulated scenarios (stoplight, evasion, pedestrian), and results were statistically analyzed using independent t-tests and correlations, controlling for false discovery rate.
Main Results:
- Concussed participants exhibited significantly slower composite driving RT compared to controls (p=0.023, d=0.992).
- While specific driving RT scenarios (evasion, pedestrian, stoplight) did not reach statistical significance after corrections, they showed medium to large effect sizes indicating concussed deficits.
- No significant correlations were found between driving RT composite scores and any CNT domains in either the concussed or control groups.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with a history of concussion demonstrate significantly impaired driving RT even when asymptomatic, raising concerns about driving safety.
- Computerized neurocognitive testing (CNT) reaction time (RT) measures are not a reliable surrogate for assessing driving RT deficits post-concussion.
- The findings highlight the need for driving-specific assessments in concussion recovery protocols.
