Response times are greater , gait strategies are less efficient , and postural control deficits are greater in concussed participants compared with healthy controls both immediately and for some period following concussive injury , specifically under divided attention conditions .
Dual task assessment s in some cases were more reliable than single task assessment s and may be better able to detect lingering effects following concussion .
This article is a systematic review of the literature on divided attention assessment inclusive of a cognitive and motor task ( balance or gait ) for use in concussion management .
Global switch cost as an index for concussion assessment: reliability and stability.
PURPOSE The objective of this study is to determine the stability and sensitivity of a dual-task ( DT ) methodology that can be used to assess the effects of concussion in athletes . METHODS Fifty-nine healthy young adults ( Mage = 20.32 ± 1.84 yr , 19 males ) who volunteered to participate completed auditory switch tasks that varied in length ( 30 , 40 , and 60 items ) at baseline , 1 wk later , and approximately 7 months later . During sessions 2 and 3 , the participants completed one of three switch tasks while concurrently performing a modified Harvard Step Test .  Global switch cost indices and percentage error were calculated for each switch task . The stability reliability of the global switch cost indices was assessed under single-task conditions , and the sensitivity of the global switch costs to interference effects was assessed under DT conditions . RESULTS The stability reliability was 0.64 , 0.84 , and 0.83 for the 30- , 40- , and 60-item tests , respectively . ANOVA revealed a main effect for condition ( single task vs DT ) for both global switch costs ( F(1,55 ) = 44.53 , P < 0.0001 ) and percentage error ( F(1,56 ) = 64.69 , P < 0.001 ) . The magnitude of the global switch cost interference effects was nearly identical across the three DT conditions . CONCLUSIONS The current concussion testing models test athletes ' cognitive and physical function in isolation . The stability reliability of the global switch cost index obtained under DT conditions suggests that it may be a useful measure for clinicians . The DT paradigm presents another test methodology that may be useful for making return-to-play decisions as part of a comprehensive concussion management plan
Response times are greater , gait strategies are less efficient , and postural control deficits are greater in concussed participants compared with healthy controls both immediately and for some period following concussive injury , specifically under divided attention conditions .
Dual task assessment s in some cases were more reliable than single task assessment s and may be better able to detect lingering effects following concussion .
This article is a systematic review of the literature on divided attention assessment inclusive of a cognitive and motor task ( balance or gait ) for use in concussion management .