Pitt Study Evaluates Effectiveness of the Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool
By: Beth Mausteller
A new study by University of Pittsburgh researchers suggests that many components of the new Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool 6 (SCOAT6), recommended by the Concussion in Sport Group, may not be effective for assessing concussion. The study, led by Anthony Kontos, Ph.D., Michael Collins, Ph.D., and colleagues in the department of orthopaedic surgery’s UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, the University of Arkansas, and INOVA Sports Medicine Concussion Program, was published in the journal Sports Medicine.
The research evaluated the effectiveness of the SCOAT6 and other commonly used clinical assessments for athletes following a concussion, including the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), Concussion Clinical Profiles Screening, and computerized neurocognitive testing. The research involved 134 participants within three to 30 days of sustaining a sport-related concussion and 67 healthy controls, aged 13-29 years. The key findings indicate that while some components of the SCOAT6 such as symptoms, the modified VOMS, and timed tandem gait were useful in identifying sports-related concussion, other components such as the brief cognitive tests, orthostatic vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate), and balance tests were not effective. The CP Screen and computerized memory and reaction time tests also proved to be useful for identifying concussion.
“Our study suggests that clinicians should be assessing athletes with concussion using a multidomain approach consisting of symptoms, as well as the VOMS, computerized neurocognitive testing, and timed tandem gait,” said lead author Anthony Kontos, Ph.D. “These findings also highlight the importance of using evidence to drive clinical practice recommendations rather than relying primarily on expert consensus.”
“Our research underscores the need for a systematic, evidence-based approach to evaluating sport-related concussions, particularly when patients come to the clinic,” said co-author Michael Collins, Ph.D. “This study is a significant step forward in concussion management. The findings will help clinicians make more informed decisions and provide better care for athletes recovering from concussions.”
Drs. Kontos and Collins receive book royalties from APA Books, and funding for their research through the University of Pittsburgh from the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research, Department of Defense, National Football League, National Institutes of Health, and private donors through the University of Pittsburgh.
