A systematic review and meta-analysis of factors influencing ImPACT concussion testing in high school and collegiate athletes with self-reported ADHD and/or LD.

OBJECTIVE

Sport concussion is a common injury, and athletes with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disorder (LD) are at increased risk and require specialized attention in clinical settings. Although systematic reviews of the relationship between ADHD/LD and concussion are reported in the literature, these reviews do not include quantitative syntheses. Additionally, no reviews have focused on the most commonly utilized concussion assessment, Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The current review provides an update of sport concussion assessment in athletes with ADHD and/or LD from 2000 to 2021 on these topics: baseline and postconcussion performance on ImPACT, baseline and postconcussion symptom reporting using the Postconcussion Symptom Scale, invalid baseline classification on ImPACT, and self-reported history of concussion.

METHOD

Meta-analyses were conducted on baseline ImPACT performance, symptom reporting, invalid baseline classification, and concussion rates. Thirty-four studies were included in systematic review and 19 were included in meta-analyses.

RESULTS

Decreased baseline performance was found for athletes with ADHD (trivial to small effects), LD (small-to-medium effects), and ADHD/LD (small-to-medium effects). Increased baseline symptom reporting was found for athletes with ADHD (small effect). Increased odds of invalid baseline performance (trivial effect) and self-reported concussion history (small effect) were found in ADHD.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide the first quantitative synthesis of the literature in this area. It is recommended that future research further examines these topics in athletes with LD and co-occurring ADHD/LD (given the focus on ADHD), as well as the effects that all of these conditions may have on concussion recovery and return-to-play decision-making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).