Test–retest reliability of the neurotracker compared to the impact test for the management of mild traumatic brain injuries during two consecutive university sport seasons

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Neurocognitive assessment tools such as the Neurotracker and ImPACT have been proposed to optimize sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) management. Baseline testing is recommended with such assessments to individualize monitoring of athletes' remission. While the ideal timeframe between baseline updates has been studied for the ImPACT, these data are missing for the Neurotracker.

Objective

The current study aimed to compare the test–retest reliability of the ImPACT and Neurotracker for two consecutive seasons in university athletes participating in sports at risk for mTBI.

Methods

At the start of two consecutive seasons, 30 athletes with no recent history of mTBI completed a baseline assessment including the Neurotracker and the ImPACT. The test–retest reliability of the results was analyzed by considering intra-class correlation (ICC), Becker’s standardized mean difference (d_B) and Bland-Altman’ plot of each outcome.

Results

The Neurotracker and the Visual Motor Speed composite score of the ImPAC were the only outcomes with significative ICCs and acceptable d_B between the two seasons. Neurotracker was the only outcome with a significative bias (+0.179).

Conclusion

Our research suggests that the Neurotracker has an acceptable level of test–retest reliability after one year in comparison to the ImPACT.

KEYWORDS:

• Concussion
• mild traumatic brain injury
• neurotracker
• 3D-MOT
• ImPACT

Acknowledgments

We thank Jean Leblond for his support with the statistical analysis and Étienne Fallu and Jean-François Brunelle for their implication in the recruitment of athletes.

This work was supported in part by grants from the Groupe de recherche sur les affections neuromusculosquelettiques (GRAN), the internal research funds of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and the Foundation for the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fonds de Recherche Internes UQTR [FIR UQTR].