A - 22 Baseline testing for athletes: where are we now and where are we going?

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study is to find out the current state of baseline neurocognitive testing for athletes across multiple ages and organizations, by gathering information from professionals in the field. 16 sports neuropsychologists completed a one-time anonymous online survey that contained questions regarding concussion baseline testing practices and opinions. 15 sports neuropsychologists answered “yes”to conducting baseline testing, with one responding “no.”Of those, 10 reported working with professional athletes, 8 with college athletes, 8 with adolescents aged 13–17, and 5 with children aged 8–12. All 15 sports neuropsychologists reported using the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), in accordance with other measures such as the VOMS, sway, force platform, SCAT, and traditional paper and pencil measures, among other assessments. Baseline testing took place in the sports medicine clinic, at the sports facility, at the university, private office, or research lab. A majority of the sports neuropsychologists reported that testing was supervised by themselves, an athletic trainer, student trainee, and/or clinic staff. A portion (20%) of the sports neuropsychologists indicated they were not satisfied with their current method of baseline testing. One neuropsychologist reported that they currently conduct remote baseline testing and a minority of the respondents stated they would consider remote testing. There was a consensus on the use of the ImPACT as the main baseline neurocognitive measure, among other assessments. This study should be expanded to include a larger sample size and variety of sports professionals to better understand the current state of sport concussion assessment.