Psychometric properties of the standardized assessment of concussion in youth football: Validity, reliability, and demographic factors

Authors

• Arthur C. Maerlender, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Eric Smith, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow
• P. Gunnar Brolinson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow
• Jillian Urban, Wake Forest UniversityFollow
• Steven Rowson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow
• Amaris Ajamil, Simbex, Inc., Lebanon, New Hampshire
• Eamon T. Campolettano, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow
• Ryan A. Gellner, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Srinidhi Bellamkonda, Brown University
• Mireille E. Kelley, Wake Forest UniversityFollow
• Derek Jones, Wake Forest University
• Alex Powers, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
• Jonathan Beckwith, Simbex, Inc., Lebanon, New Hampshire
• Joseph J. Crisco, Brown UniversityFollow
• Joel Stitzel, Wake Forest University
• Stefan Duma, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityFollow
• Richard M. Greenwald, Simbex, Inc., Lebanon, New Hampshire

ORCID IDs

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9740-6354 A. Maerlender

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8786-0905 Joseph Crisco

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2020

Citation

Published in Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 2020

doi 10.1080/21622965.2020.1726746

Comments

Copyright © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Used by permission.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the psychometrics (reliability, validity) of the original Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) in a youth sample (ages 11 to 13). Demographic factors of race, level of vocabulary knowledge, mother’s level of education were also considered. Over 150 youth football athletes completed the SAC and a brief battery of NIH Toolbox cognitive tests as part of a larger study on biomechanical factors in youth sport concussion. This was a within-subjects design (pre-season, post-season assessments), and correlational analysis of convergent and discriminant validity. Between groups analysis based on demographic differences was also employed. The pre-season SAC scores were not different by age; however, SAC scores were statistically different by race: t(155) = 3.162, p = .002, d = .519. Maternal level of education and participant vocabulary scores were related to racial group membership. Convergent and discriminant validity were established compared to NIH Toolbox tests of memory and speed. Pre–post-season tests for 108 participants established marginally acceptable test–retest reliability (ICC = .692). These data support the use of the original SAC in youth football although clinicians must be aware of racial differences in scores.