Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc · Jan 2021
Test-Retest Reliability of Concussion Baseline Assessments in United States Service Academy Cadets: A Report from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-Department of Defense (DoD) CARE Consortium.
In response to advancing clinical practice guidelines regarding concussion management, service members, like athletes, complete a baseline assessment prior to participating in high-risk activities. While several studies have established test stability in athletes, no investigation to date has examined the stability of baseline assessment scores in military cadets. The objective of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of a baseline concussion test battery in cadets at U.S. Service Academies. ⋯ This investigation noted less than optimal reliability for the most common concussion baseline assessments. While none of the assessments met or exceeded the accepted clinical threshold, the effect sizes were relatively small suggesting an overlap in performance from year-to-year. As such, baseline assessments beyond the initial evaluation in cadets are not essential but could aid concussion diagnosis.