Between-seasons test-retest reliability of clinically measured reaction time in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes

Context:

Reaction time is typically impaired after concussion. A clinical test of reaction time (RT_clin) that does not require a computer to administer may be a valuable tool to assist in concussion diagnosis and management.

Objective:

To determine the test-retest reliability of RT_clin measured over successive seasons in competitive collegiate athletes and to compare these results with a computerized measure of reaction time (RT_comp).

Design:

Case series with repeated measures.

Setting:

Preparticipation physical examinations for the football, women''s soccer, and wrestling teams at a single university.

Patients or Other Participants:

102 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes.

Interventions :

The RT_clin was measured using a measuring stick embedded in a weighted rubber disk that was released and caught as quickly as possible. The RT_comp was measured using the simple reaction time component of CogState Sport.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Data were collected at 2 time points, 1 season apart, during preparticipation physical examinations. Outcomes were mean simple RT_clin and RT_comp.

Results:

The intraclass correlation coefficient estimates from season 1 to season 2 were 0.645 for RT_clin (n = 102, entire sample) and 0.512 for RT_comp (n = 62 athletes who had 2 consecutive valid baseline CogState Sport test sessions).

Conclusions:

The test-retest reliability of RT_clin over consecutive seasons compared favorably with that of a concurrently tested computerized measure of reaction time and with literature-based estimates of computerized reaction time measures. This finding supports the potential use of RT_clin as part of a multifaceted concussion assessment battery. Further prospective study is warranted.