AUTHOR=Tanel Michelle R. , Gupta Christopher , Wilson Katherine E. , Murphy James , Wright F. Virginia , Reed Nick 

TITLE=The Concussion Challenge Assessment: Development and reliability of a novel gross motor assessment tool for paediatric concussion

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2022.1027339

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2022.1027339

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=Aims: To develop a gross motor performance clinical assessment tool, the Concussion Challenge Assessment (CCA), for pediatric concussion populations. Methods: An expert panel evaluated tasks from the Acquired Brain Injury Challenge Assessment to determine relevant tasks for a pediatric concussion population. These tasks were administered to a convenience sample of 854 healthy youth. An analysis of the response options for each task, considering task difficulty, was performed. The test-retest reliability of each task was considered to finalize the tool. Results: The Acquired Brain Injury Challenge Assessment was reduced to six tasks (three coordination, two speed and agility, one strength) to create the CCA. Population-specific 4-point response options were generated, which, upon examination of task difficulty, were revised as 5-point response sets to better capture performance differences.  The test-retest reliability results led to acceptance of all six: three performance tasks and three exertion tasks. Conclusion: This development of the CCA is an important step in creating a gross motor performance assessment tool that can assist in determination of when a youth is able to safely return to activity following a concussion.