Sport concussion assessment tool - 3rd edition - normative reference values for professional ice hockey players

Abstract Objectives To determine normative reference values for the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool—3rd Edition (SCAT3) using a large sample of professional male ice hockey players. Design A descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods Preseason baseline testing was administered individually to 304 professional male ice hockey players. Results The participants were aged between 16 and 40 with a mean ( M ) age of 25.3 years. Over 60% of the athletes reported previous concussion, almost 20% had been hospitalized or medically imaged following a head trauma. Of the players, 48% reported no symptoms. The symptom score median (Md) was 1.0 ( M =1.5) and severity median was 1.0 ( M =2.3). The median of the SAC score was 27.0 ( M =27.0). The median of the M-BESS was 1.0 ( M =2.0). The Tandem gait median was 10.9s ( M =10.8s). The most common baseline symptom was neck pain (24%). Delayed recall was the most difficult component of the SAC (Md=4); only 24% performed it flawlessly. All athletes completed the double-leg stance of the M-BESS without errors, but there was performance variability in the tandem stance (Md=0, M =0.6, range=0–10) and single-leg stance (Md=1.0, M =1.4, range=0–10). Conclusions Representative normative reference values for the SCAT3 among professional male ice hockey players are provided.