Between-Seasons Test-Retest Reliability of Clinically Measured Reaction Time in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes

Abstract

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. Intervention(s):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.Key Words: intraclass correlation coefficient, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, assessment Key Points• Reaction time is typically prolonged after sport-related concussion and can be measured clinically.• Test-retest reliability of the clinical measure of reaction time over consecutive seasons compared favorably with a computerized measure of reaction time.• The potential use of the clinical measure of reaction time as part of the sports medicine practitioner's multifaceted concussion assessment battery is supported.

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