Neurocognitive performance in an Irish collegiate athlete sample: a comparison with normative data from the CNS vital signs test

Neurocognitive function is an important element of academic and sports performance, which is often impaired following sport-related concussion. Neurocognitive assessment provides objective data that can be clinically valuable in the process of concussion diagnosis and management. However, the applicability of existing normative data to specific populations remains uncertain. This study investigated neurocognitive performance in an Irish collegiate athlete sample using the CNS Vital Signs (CNS VS) battery and compared results with the published normative data. A cross-sectional design was employed, recruiting 103 student-athletes (mean age 21.65 ± 2.77 years) from a single Irish technological university. Participants completed the CNS VS battery remotely, assessing verbal memory, visual memory, psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, continuous performance, and reaction time. One-sample z-tests/Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to compare participant scores with normative values. The effect of biological sex, concussion history, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disability (LD), and sport type on neurocognitive scores across the six domains was examined with a series of multiple linear regression analyses. Compared with normative data, participants demonstrated significantly lower performance in visual memory, cognitive flexibility, and reaction time, with small-to-moderate effect sizes. Continuous performance scores were significantly higher, while no difference was observed in verbal memory and psychomotor speed. No statistically significant association was found between participants' neurocognitive scores and any of the independent variables. These findings indicate substantial differences between contemporary Irish collegiate athletes and CNS VS normative population, suggesting that the existing norms may not be appropriate for interpreting neurocognitive performance in this group.