The Effect of Performance Training on Sideline Concussion Assessments in Adolescent Athletes: A Pilot Investigation

The vestibular ocular motor screen (VOMS) and the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6 (SCAT6) are point-of-care concussion assessments administered immediately or soon after sports participation or exercise. To retain validity and accuracy, the results of these tests should not be affected by sporting activity. We assessed the effect on the mVOMS (modified VOMS) and SCAT6 immediately and 20 minutes after performance training in high school athletes.

Nonrandomized pilot experimental study.

High School, Buffalo, NY.

Nonconcussed athletes (n = 23, 39% male, 15.5 ± 1.0 years).

Performance Training (pretraining, post-training, 20 minutes post-training).

mVOMS and SCAT6 scores (standardized assessment of concussion, modified balance error scoring system, timed tandem gait [TTG], dual task tandem gait [DTTG]).

TTG (P = 0.005) and DTTG (P = 0.045) improved significantly from prepractice to immediate postpractice and from pretraining to 20 minutes post-training (TTG [P = 0.002], DTTG [P = 0.006]). There were no other differences in SCAT6 or mVOMS scores among the 3 time points.

SCAT6 and mVOMS performance was not adversely affected by moderately intense exercise training in high school athletes. TTG and DTTG performance improved after exercise, consistent with the learning effect. Further research should be conducted across other populations to increase generalizability. Clinicians should be confident that fatigue and exertion from acute performance training activities are not likely to affect the performance of these widely used sideline concussion assessment tools.