Concussion Baseline Retesting Is Necessary When Initial Scores Are Low.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Concussion Management

Background:

• Accurate concussion baseline testing is crucial for diagnosing and managing concussions in athletes.
• Initial baseline tests may yield invalid scores due to various factors, potentially impacting post-injury assessments.
• Understanding the impact of retesting on baseline scores is vital for refining concussion protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare initial concussion baseline scores between athletes with valid and invalid results.
• To assess the improvement in baseline scores after retesting for athletes with initially invalid results.
• To determine score differences between athletes with initially valid scores and those who successfully retested.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, repeated-measures design over two years of collegiate preparticipation concussion baseline testing.
• Involved 547 NCAA Division I athletes (217 female), categorized into initial valid, initial invalid, and retest valid groups.
• Analyzed 28 individual test items, including symptom scores, coordination, near-point convergence, CNS Vital Signs (CNSVS), Senaptec Sensory Station, and Neurocom Sensory Organization Test (SOT).

Main Results:

• Athletes with initially valid scores performed significantly better on 8 CNSVS and 5 Senaptec items compared to those with initial invalid scores.
• Retest valid scores showed significant improvement over initial invalid scores on 17 tested items.
• These findings underscore the potential for learning effects and improved performance upon retesting.

Conclusions:

• Retesting is recommended for athletes who initially score below acceptable ranges on concussion baseline tests.
• Accurate baseline scores are imperative for ensuring athlete safety, especially considering potential learning effects during post-injury testing.
• Completion time for coordination tests may offer a more informative measure for concussion assessment.