Examining the Possibility of Practice Effects in the ImPACT Neuropsychological Test for Concussions

Abstract

Concussions are often diagnosed and assessed using computerized neuropsychological tests, and these tests could be subject to practice effects. The test could be learned, and therefore any improved performance would not accurately reflect the brain’s healing progress. My experiment used previously collected data on concussed college athletes who had taken the ImPACT neuropsychological test and compared it to the data that I collected from non-concussed college athletes. My hypothesis was that if controls were given the test at the same time intervals as the concussed athletes, then they would demonstrate practice effects. Even though the results were not statistically significant, they did show evidence of practice effects. This calls into question whether these types of tests should be used as frequently in concussion management.