Modest utility of brief oculomotor test for concussion screening in military mixed-martial arts training

Primary Objective: To assess a rapid concussion screening tool in Service members participating in combatives (mixed martial arts; MMA) training school. Research Design: This prospective study included baseline and either post-training or post-injury assessments. Methods and Procedures: Baseline (N ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Brain injury Vol. 33; no. 13-14; pp. 1646 - 1651
Main Authors:	Dretsch, Michael N., Fauth, Jenifer, Moya, Marcelo M., Connaboy, Chris, Kontos, Anthony
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Taylor & Francis 06-12-2019
Subjects:	Concussion King-Devick mild traumatic brain injury MMA oculomotor MMA King-Devick Concussion mild traumatic brain injury oculomotor
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Summary:	Primary Objective: To assess a rapid concussion screening tool in Service members participating in combatives (mixed martial arts; MMA) training school. Research Design: This prospective study included baseline and either post-training or post-injury assessments. Methods and Procedures: Baseline (N = 152) and post-assessments (n = 129) of Service members included symptom reporting and the King-Devick (KD) oculomotor test. Outcomes and Results: Headache, balance problems, and dizziness were the most severe concussive symptoms. KD scores for those who sustained a concussion (n = 31) were significantly worse compared to baseline, but not for participants who finished the course with no concussion (n = 98). For concussed, 74.2% had scores that were worse from baseline (slower) compared to 39.8% of the post-training group. KD scores were worse 34.4% more in individuals who sustained a concussion compared to those who did not. However, there was poor discriminant ability of the KD test (AUC = .60, sensitivity/specificity) to distinguish between concussed and non-concussed participants. Conclusions: The KD test should not be used in isolation as a sideline or field concussion assessment during training scenarios. Rather, it has potential utility for evaluating individual cases to supplement decision making when an established baseline is available.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0269-9052 1362-301X
DOI:	10.1080/02699052.2019.1658226