Document Type

Research Poster

Publication Date

2017

Abstract

Neurocognitive tests like the SCAT3 and ImPACT have become standard concussion assessment tools. Although these tests have adequate sensitivity, specificity, and reliability, they are unimodal in nature. Consequently, the tests do not fully assess the range of processing that can be affected by concussion (Thompson, 2012). Therefore, we developed a cross-modal continuous performance task to examine cognitive processing post-concussion. Forty-three middle school school lacrosse players, college students, and physical therapy graduate students participated in the study. Twelve of these participants had been previously diagnosed with a concussion. Participants completed a symptom checklist from SCAT3 along with other demographic information (e.g., previously concussed, last concussion). They then completed the continuous performance task starting with visual detection followed by visual inhibition, auditory detection, and auditory inhibition. Older subjects were more accurate than younger subjects on the detection task (F(1, 84) = 20.61, p < .001). Subjects were also more accurate on the visual task than the auditory task (F(1, 84) = 21.47, p < .001). Both age (F(1, 84) = 5.65, p < .02) and previous concussion (F(1, 84) = 4.49, p < .04) interacted with test modality. College and graduate students who had previously been concussed performed the same as those who had not been concussed. However, middle schoolers who had been concussed did significantly worse on the auditory task than those who had not been concussed. Similarly, older subjects were more accurate than younger subjects on the inhibition task (F(1, 84) = 4.91, p < .03). Older subjects were also significantly more accurate on the visual task than the middle schoolers (F(1, 84) = 5.33, p < .03; Figure 2). However, no differences were found based on previous concussion.

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