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 .
Balance performance with a cognitive task: a dual-task testing paradigm.
PURPOSE Athletic performance dem and s simultaneous use of cognitive and postural control capabilities . Decrements to both systems have been observed following concussion . This study evaluated a dual-task methodology to establish the tenability of using this testing model in concussed athletes . METHODS Nonconcussed subjects were assessed over 2 d. Subjects were introduced to the task-switching cognitive assessment test and a NeuroCom Smart Balance Master postural control assessment protocol on day 1 . In the following session , subjects were evaluated on  postural control and cognitive function tests independently ( single task ) , and then concurrently ( dual task ) . RESULTS Significant improvements were seen in three of the four balance conditions and in three of the four reaction times when the cognitive and balance task were performed simultaneously ( P<0.05 ) . No significant balance by cognitive task interaction was revealed ( P>0.05 ) ; however , significant differences existed in reaction time based on stimulus position and increasing balance dem and s ( P<0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Combining the cognitive and balance assessment s result ed in healthy subjects showing improved performance when compared with individual task performance . The dual-task methodology brought about systematic changes to reaction time in relation to increasing balance dem and s. The ability of this protocol to detect changes in postural control or cognitive function following concussive injury requires further study
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 .