Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can cause subtle motor and cognitive deficits.
• Existing dual task paradigms are often impractical for widespread mTBI evaluation due to cost and complexity.
• There is a need for accessible tools to assess residual impairments in athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the revised Dual Task Screen (DTS) for improved mTBI assessment in athletes.
• To introduce a neuroimaging-compatible DTS for investigating neural mechanisms underlying mTBI-related deficits.
• To present preliminary data illustrating the DTS's clinical utility.

Main Methods:

• Revision of the DTS to include upper extremity tasks, smart device integration for gait analysis, and single cognitive conditions.
• Development of a neuroimaging-compatible DTS for simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) acquisition.
• Administration of the revised DTS to three male athletes to demonstrate data acquisition.

Main Results:

• The revised DTS is a <10-minute, low-cost evaluation tool using portable equipment.
• Smart devices enhance gait data collection, and single cognitive conditions assess performance disruptions.
• A neuroimaging-compatible version allows for fNIRS data collection during DTS tasks.

Conclusions:

• The revised DTS offers a practical and comprehensive approach to evaluating mTBI in athletes.
• The neuroimaging-compatible DTS provides a novel method for understanding the neural basis of mTBI deficits.
• Future research will focus on the sensitivity and specificity of the revised DTS in mTBI populations.