Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as a Mediating Variable for Invalid Baseline Profiles on the ImPACT

Individuals with ADHD may perform poorly on tasks targeting executive functioning skills such as the ImPACT, which requires the test-taker to employ judgement in non-routine situations Objective: To determine whether ADHD serves as a mediating variable for increasing the likelihood of an invalid score.

A total of 39,140 collegiate athletes and United States military cadets consented to the Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium study. Participants completed the CARE Baseline Packet which included various sections through which study participants provide self-report data, including demographic, personal, and family history sections. The personal history portion of the CARE Baseline Packet addressed the participant's neurological history, including self-reported diagnosis of ADHD and history of traumatic brain injury. Variables utilized for the current study included age, gender, race, ethnicity, the participant's primary college sport, use of mouthguards for athletes competing in sports requiring them, and the presence of an ADHD diagnosis. Participants responded to a question, inquiring if they had ever been diagnosed by a medical professional with ADHD, ultimately producing a dichotomous yes/no response.

We found that participants with ADHD were more likely to produce invalid baseline scores (ß = -0.884; p < 0.001). Similar results were found when controlling for sex, race, age, sport played, mouthguard use, and number of previous concussions (ß = -0.786; p < 0.001). Sex, race, sport played, and mouthguard use each played a significant role in determining profile validity, independent of ADHD diagnosis. With ADHD removed from the model, age negatively affected the likelihood of a valid score (ß = -0.052; p = 0.048).

Our study suggests that the relationship between age and ImPACT validity is explained by the presence of ADHD. Results support adjusting ImPACT's validity thresholds for individuals with ADHD.