• Traci R Snedden, Margaret Alison Brooks, Scott Hetzel, and Tim McGuine.
• *School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Departments of †Orthopedics; and ‡Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI; and §Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
• Clin J Sport Med. 2017 Sep 1; 27 (5): 462-467.

ObjectiveEstablish sex, age, and concussion history-specific normative baseline sport concussion assessment tool 3 (SCAT3) values in adolescent athletes.DesignProspective cohort.SettingSeven Wisconsin high schools.ParticipantsSeven hundred fifty-eight high school athletes participating in 19 sports.Independent VariablesSex, age, and concussion history.Main Outcome MeasuresSport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3): total number of symptoms; symptom severity; total Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC); and each SAC component (orientation, immediate memory, concentration, delayed recall); Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) total errors (BESS, floor and foam pad).ResultsMales reported a higher total number of symptoms [median (interquartile range): 0 (0-2) vs 0 (0-1), P = 0.001] and severity of symptoms [0 (0-3) vs 0 (0-2), P = 0.001] and a lower mean (SD) total SAC [26.0 (2.3) vs 26.4 (2.0), P = 0.026], and orientation [5 (4-5) vs 5 (5-5), P = 0.021]. There was no difference in baseline scores between sex for immediate memory, concentration, delayed recall or BESS total errors. No differences were found for any test domain based on age. Previously, concussed athletes reported a higher total number of symptoms [1 (0-4) vs 0 (0-2), P = 0.001] and symptom severity [2 (0-5) vs 0 (0-2), P = 0.001]. BESS total scores did not differ by concussion history.ConclusionThis study represents the first published normative baseline SCAT3 values in high school athletes. Results varied by sex and history of previous concussion but not by age. The normative baseline values generated from this study will help clinicians better evaluate and interpret SCAT3 results of concussed adolescent athletes.

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