Abstract
Objective
This study examined neurocognitive performance and symptoms between concussed Black and White collegiate athletes at baseline, post-injury, and change from baseline to post-injury.
Method
The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) was used to measure neurocognitive performance and four concussion symptom clusters for 235 concussed collegiate athletes. Between-groups differences were documented at baseline and post-injury, along with change in scores for sex/race, and sport/race groups, using ANOVAs. Baseline scores, and days-to-post-test were covariates in post-injury comparisons. Symptom endorsement by race was evaluated using chi-square analyses.
Results
At baseline, group comparisons by race and sex showed that Black male/female athletes scored lower on reaction time (RT; p = .008), White females scored higher on verbal memory (VerbMem; p = .001), Black females scored lower on visual motor processing speed (VMS; p = .001), and Black football athletes scored slower/poorer on RT (p = .001) and VMS (p = .006). Post-injury, Black males scored lower on visual memory (VisMem; p = .005) and VMS (p = .002), and Black football athletes scored slower on VMS (p = .005), whereas White non-football athletes scored higher on VerbMem (p = .002) and reported fewer symptoms. Significant time-by-sport/race interactions were found for VerbMem (p < .001), VisMem (p < .001) and reported symptoms. With respect to post-injury symptom scores/endorsement, Black athletes scored significantly higher for physical (p = .01) and sleep (p = .01) symptoms.
Conclusion
These findings drive the conversation of how subjective measures of symptoms, and objective clinical concussion measures, may relate to the concussion recovery process and providing a culturally competent clinical management approach for diverse patients.
Disclosure statement
There are no competing interests to report for the authorship team.
Authors contribution
All authors contributed to one or more components of this research publication.