ABSTRACT
Sport-related concussions have gained enormous attention over the past decade by scientists, medical professionals, and the athletic community at large. Clinical assessment methods with demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, reliability, and validity are needed to provide a clear picture of a concussion syndrome. Clinical neuropsychologists are independent practitioners of clinical neuropsychology and psychology. The clinical neuropsychologist uses psychological, neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological principles, techniques and tests to evaluate patients' neurocognitive, behavioral, and emotional strengths and weaknesses and their relationship to normal and abnormal central nervous system functioning. The selection of psychometrically sound neuropsychological tests is necessary in order to obtain accurate information about an individual's true level of functioning. There is longstanding scientific evidence that the subjective experience of cognitive deficits can occur following a concussion, even in the absence of objectively identifiable deficits on neuropsychological testing. Sport-related concussion, and concussions in general, are often "invisible injuries," at least to traditional neuroimaging.
