Neuropsychology of Sports Concussion Program


    
How Data Were Collected: With this program we conducted baseline neuropsychological testing with most of the athletes participating in varsity contact sports at Penn State for about 15 years. We tested the athletes when they first arrived on campus. If they experienced a concussion while at PSU, we then followed-up with post-concussion neuropsychological testing that involved re-testing with alternate test forms and comparing athletes’ performance to baseline test results. This information was then provided to trainers and team physicians to assist them in making return to play decisions. Graduate students working in my lab were involved in this program, conducting testing in addition to report write-up and interpretation.

We have explored a number of research questions with this program, including factors that can impact neurocognitive performance post-concussion such as motivation, depression, co-morbid depression and anxiety, premorbid cognitive functioning, genetic factors, cognitive reserve, and premorbid symptomatology. We have also examined knowledge and attitudes towards concussion, and have developed guidelines for evidence-based concussion management using a base rate of impairment model that has been refined using different levels of premorbid cognitive ability. 

Current Sports Concussion Work: We are currently using machine learning and publicly available big data sets to predict factors impacting return to play speed in collegiate athletes. We are also exploring the extent to which depression post-concussion can interfere with accurate self-reports of memory problems. We have additionally been exploring ways to contextualize racial/ethnic group differences in neuropsychological test performance so that fairer and more accurate assessments post-concussion can be developed. We are also exploring in a Proof-of-Concept Study whether similar phenomena to what we have found in varsity college athletes can be observed in college students with a history of concussion.