Measuring Deficits in Visually Guided Action Post-Concussion

Recent concussion research has led to the development of computerized test batteries designed to measure working memory and psychomotor speed deficits in acute stage post-concussion. These tests lack a measure of motor control deficits, which may linger well after other symptoms have remitted. For athletes, this may mean returning to play while still uncoordinated or neurologically fragile. The present research involved the development of a visuomotor pointing task designed to induce a speed-accuracy trade off to measure motor planning and execution performance in concussed athletes. Data collected using this tool were contrasted with CogSport, a commercially available computerized test battery designed to assess residual cognitive effects of concussion in athletes. Results suggest that a motor task may be able to detect long-term effects of concussion not measurable with CogSport. If future research can confirm these findings, we suggest that a measure of motor control may need to be added to existing batteries to improve their sensitivity to long term effects.