Symptom presentation and neurocognitive performance following sport-related concussion in adolescents with and without ADHD

The possible impact of premorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the recovery process following sport-related concussion (SRC) in adolescents is not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ADHD together with other selected variables on symptom presentation and neurocognitive performance in a well-matched sample of adolescents with SRC. We hypothesized that more symptoms and poorer neurocognitive performance would be observed in those with ADHD. Symptoms from the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool-5 and cognitive test results from the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) were examined at initial visit, and symptoms were re-assessed at 3-months in a sample of 112 participants with (<i>n</i> = 56) and without (<i>n</i> = 56) ADHD (ages 12-18 years; <i>M</i> = 14.68, <i>SD</i> = 1.77) who were matched by age, sex, ethnicity/race, and days post-injury. Exclusion criteria included severe medical illness or moderate/severe brain injury and lack of English fluency. No significant group differences were found in total symptoms (<i>p</i> = .145), symptom severity (<i>p</i> = .179), or neurocognitive functioning at initial visit (all <i>p</i> > .79) or at 3 months. However, athletes with ADHD reported more nausea (<i>p</i> = 0.22) and feeling slowed down at initial testing (<i>p</i> = .021). Additionally, premorbid anxiety influenced symptom report (<i>p</i> = .010). ADHD did not appear to pose a specific risk for greater symptom burden or neurocognitive deficits in the first 3 months post-concussion.