Validation of a Brief Cognitive Assessment for Concussion Delivered on a Mobile Device

Abstract

AbstractPrevious research found the Conners Continuous Performance Test (3rd ed; CCPT3) to predict concussion outcomes, but delivery was on a desktop device which can undermine broad use. We examine whether a shortened, mobile CCPT3 predicts concussion symptom endorsement and severity, and evaluate whether the predictive validity changes after controlling for ADHD. From July 2021 to January 2022, 143 participants aged 11 to 23 (approximately 30% female), including 63 consecutively assessed individuals suspected of having a concussion, and 80 randomly selected healthy controls, completed the mobile CCPT3 and the 31-item CDC concussion symptom checklist with severity ratings. Regression analyses indicate the mobile CCPT3 accounts for 19% variance (p < 0.01, d = 0.97) in symptom severity and 17.2% variance (p < 0.01, d = 0.91) in symptom endorsement. Findings persist after controlling for the experience of ADHD. Moreover, CCPT3 scores can differentiate among those suspected of having a concussion, predicting 27.6% variance in total symptom severity (p = 0.02, d = 1.24). Thus, a brief, objective mobile cognitive assessment yields large effect sizes when predicting concussion symptoms, and findings are comparable to previous research. Because the mobile assessment can be administered almost immediately post-injury and in between clinical visits, it can further inform post-injury medical care, rehabilitation, and return-to-play decisions.