Development and Reliability of a Visual-Cognitive Reactive Triple Hop Test

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Current return to sport testing often overlooks the cognitive demands of sports.
• Athletes require continuous cognitive engagement during sport participation.
• Developing tests that integrate physical and cognitive challenges is crucial for accurate return to sport assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the test-retest reliability of a novel visual-cognitive reactive (VCR) triple hop test.
• To create a test that simulates sport-specific demands by combining visual-cognitive processing with neuromuscular control.
• To enhance return to sport evaluations following lower-extremity injuries.

Main Methods:

• Test-retest reliability was evaluated in 21 healthy college students.
• Participants completed a single-leg triple hop with and without a VCR dual task.
• The VCR task utilized the FitLight system to challenge response inhibition and working memory, measuring hop distance, reaction time, and errors.

Main Results:

• Both traditional and VCR triple hop tests demonstrated excellent reliability for maximum hop distance (ICC > .92).
• The VCR triple hop showed moderate reliability for reaction time (ICC = .62).
• The VCR triple hop resulted in an 8.17% hop distance deficit compared to the traditional test, indicating increased challenge.

Conclusions:

• The VCR triple hop test exhibits excellent test-retest reliability for hop distance.
• This new test reliably induces a performance deficit, reflecting its ability to challenge athletes.
• The VCR triple hop test offers a more sport-specific assessment for return to play decisions.