Field Testing The Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool-6 (SCOAT6): Results From Uninjured College Students And Lessons Learned

The Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool (SCOAT6) was published in 2023, after endorsement by the Concussion in Sport Group. It includes a diverse set of clinical assessments. Research is needed on practical aspects relating to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the SCOAT6. PURPOSE: To field test the new assessment battery in a sample of uninjured college-aged individuals, document administration times, and describe practical considerations for the use of the SCOAT6. METHODS: Fifty-three individuals (18-25 years old, M = 21.2, SD = 2.7) completed the SCOAT6 assessment, including past medical history, symptom evaluation, sleep screen, anxiety screen, depression screen, cognitive assessment, Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), Modified Vestibular/Ocular-Motor Screening (mVOMS), and tandem gait assessments. RESULTS: Administration time ranged from 26-49 minutes (M = 35.87; SD = 4.88). There are issues relating to the clarity of instructions and conflicting scripts between the testing material and the supplementary material for some tests. For example, the script on test materials for dual task trials states to ‘recite words in reverse order’ and the supplemental material script states to ‘spell backwards.’ Additionally, there are no scoring instructions for the mVOMS. Several assessments do not have readily available normative reference values or cutoffs. Of the norms provided for single and dual task cut-off times, it is unclear where these originated from. Testing materials for the full protocol include private space with ≥4 meters of walking space, examination bed, sphygmomanometer, flashlight, ophthalmoscope, stopwatch, toothpicks, tape measure and tape to mark a 3-meter line for tandem gait, reflex hammer, tongue depressor with 14 point font, foam board, and a metronome. CONCLUSIONS: The SCOAT6 is a multidimensional semi-standardized office-based assessment for sport-related concussion. Using this battery requires considerable preparation. Suggestions for improving clinical and research administration and interpretation are provided. Supported by: The primary author has no funding or AI contributions to acknowledge.