Summary / conclusions The SCAT is the most widely accepted and deployable sport concussion assessment and screening tool currently available .
There is some degree of support for using the SCAT2/SCAT3 and ChildSCAT3 in the evaluation of SRC , with and without baseline data .
The addition of an oculomotor examination seems indicated , although the most valid method for assessing oculomotor function is not clear .
Video-observable signs of concussion show promise , but there is insufficient evidence to warrant widespread use at this time
Objectives Several iterations of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool ( SCAT ) have been published over the past 16 years .
Our goal was to systematic ally review the literature related to the SCAT and provide recommendations for improving the tool .
Predictors of delayed recovery following pediatric sports-related concussion: a case-control study.
OBJECT Pediatric sports-related concussions are a growing public health concern . The factors that determine injury severity and time to recovery following these concussions are poorly understood . Previous studies suggest that initial symptom severity and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) are predictors of prolonged recovery ( > 28 days ) after pediatric sports-related concussions . Further analysis of baseline patient characteristics may allow for a more accurate prediction of which patients are at risk for delayed recovery after a sports-related concussion . METHODS The authors performed a single-center retrospective case-control study involving patients cared for at the multidisciplinary Concussion Clinic at Children 's of Alabama between August 2011 and January 2013 . Patient demographic data , medical history , sport concussion assessment tool 2 ( SCAT2 ) and symptom severity scores , injury characteristics , and patient balance assessment s were analyzed for each outcome group . The control group consisted of patients whose symptoms resolved within 28 days . The case group included patients whose symptoms persisted for more than 28 days . The presence or absence of the SCAT2 assessment had a modifying effect on the risk for delayed recovery ; therefore , stratum-specific analyses were conducted for patients with recorded SCAT2 scores and for patients without SCAT2 scores . Unadjusted ORs and adjusted ORs ( aORs ) for an association of delayed recovery outcome with specific risk factors were calculated with logistic regression analysis . RESULTS A total of 294 patients met the inclusion criteria of the study . The case and control groups did not statistically significantly differ in age ( p = 0.7 ) . For the patients who had received SCAT2 assessment s , a previous history of concussion ( aOR 3.67 , 95 % CI 1.51 - 8.95 ) , presenting SCAT2 score < 80 ( aOR 5.58 , 95 % CI 2.61 - 11.93 ) , and female sex ( aOR 3.48 , 95 % CI 1.43 - 8.49 ) were all associated with a higher risk for postconcussive symptoms lasting more than 28 days . For patients without SCAT2 scores , female sex and reporting a history of ADHD significantly increased the odds of prolonged recovery ( aOR 4.41 , 95 % CI 1.93 - 10.07 and aOR 3.87 , 95 % CI 1.13 - 13.24 , respectively ) . Concussions result ing from playing a nonhelmet sport were also associated with a higher risk for prolonged symptoms in patients with and without SCAT2 scores ( OR 2.59 , 95 % CI 1.28 - 5.26 and OR 2.17 , 95 % CI 0.99 - 7.73 , respectively ) . Amnesia , balance abnormalities , and a history of migraines were not associated with symptoms lasting longer than 28 days . CONCLUSIONS This case-control study suggests c and i date risk factors for predicting prolonged recovery following sports-related concussion . Large prospect i ve cohort studies of youth athletes examined and treated with st and ardized protocol s will be needed to definitively establish these associations and confirm which children are at highest risk for delayed recovery
Summary / conclusions The SCAT is the most widely accepted and deployable sport concussion assessment and screening tool currently available .
There is some degree of support for using the SCAT2/SCAT3 and ChildSCAT3 in the evaluation of SRC , with and without baseline data .
The addition of an oculomotor examination seems indicated , although the most valid method for assessing oculomotor function is not clear .
Video-observable signs of concussion show promise , but there is insufficient evidence to warrant widespread use at this time
Objectives Several iterations of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool ( SCAT ) have been published over the past 16 years .
Our goal was to systematic ally review the literature related to the SCAT and provide recommendations for improving the tool .