Test-Retest Reliability and Reliable Change Estimates for Sensorimotor Concussion Assessments in Healthy Young...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Sensorimotor impairments are common after concussion, with recovery often assessed via subjective clinical tests.
• Emerging technologies offer objective measures of physiological impairment, but their psychometric properties require validation for clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the test-retest reliability of three emerging sensorimotor assessment technologies.
• To establish reliable change estimates for these objective measures in healthy young adults.

Main Methods:

• A test-retest reliability study was conducted in a laboratory setting.
• Healthy young adults (n=30) underwent assessments using the Bertec Vision Trainer, Concussion Balance Test (COBALT), and Neurolign Dx-100 eye-tracking system at two time points, 4 weeks apart.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and reliable change estimates were calculated.

Main Results:

• Test-retest reliability for the Bertec Vision Trainer ranged from 0.56 to 0.88, with 45% of outcomes considered clinically acceptable (ICC > 0.70).
• For COBALT, reliability varied (sway velocity 0.50-0.95, 95% ellipse area -0.22-0.88, Sway Score 0.07-0.85), with 50% of metrics being clinically acceptable.
• Neurolign Dx-100 outcomes showed reliability ranging from -0.20 to 0.89, with 52% deemed clinically acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Test-retest reliability was moderate-to-good for the Bertec Vision Trainer but highly variable for COBALT and Neurolign Dx-100 sensorimotor assessments.
• This study provides crucial test-retest reliability and reliable change data for these objective, commercially available sensorimotor assessment tools in healthy adults.