ABSTRACT
Neuropsychological (NP) testing in sports concussion began in the 1980s with research by Barth and colleagues using paper-and-pencil testing.40,49 By the 1990s, the Pittsburgh sports battery evolved and its use spread to professional athletes.40,49 The sports battery was eventually transformed to computerized use, which allowed more widespread use of NP testing in athletes with concussion.40 Traditional NP testing evaluates cognitive abilities and psychological functioning as well as limited testing of sensory and motor functioning.61 The NP protocols used in the assessment of sports concussion consist of neurocognitive measures that evaluate domains of memory and learning, attention and the ability to process information, reaction time, and executive functioning.19,59,61
NP testing in concussion was developed in response to a need to have an objective measure in managing concussion patients. There is no gold standard test for the diagnosis or management of concussion. History, physical exam, balance testing, reaction time testing, sideline NP tests, and more comprehensive tests are tools used in the diagnosis and management of concussion. Genetic markers, fMRI, EEG, and other radiological tests are among some of the tests also being performed in sports concussion patients but are not used routinely.
