Original Article: PDF Only

Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC): On-Site Mental Status Evaluation of the Athlete

McCrea, Michael PhD^*; Kelly, James P. MD^†; Randolph, Christopher PhD^‡; Kluge, Jon PT/ATC^§; Bartolic, Edward PhD^∥; Finn, George ATC^¶; Baxter, Brian BS^#

Author Information

* Head of Neuropsychology Service, Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesba, Wisconsin

† Director, Brain Injury Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

‡ Associate Professor of Neurology, Private Practice, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

§ Employer and Community Health Services Leader, Covenant Medical Center, Waterloo, Iowa

∥ Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

¶ Director of Sports Medicine, Bates College, Leiviston, Maine

# Assistant Athletic Trainer, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, Wisconsin

Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 13(2):p 27-35, April 1998.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the clinical utility of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) in detecting concussion in athletes. Method: Athletic trainers administered the SAC to 568 nonconcussed high school and college football players prior to the 1995 and 1996 football seasons. Thirty-three of these players experienced concussion and were tested immediately following injury; 28 of the 33 underwent additional follow-up testing 48 hours after the injury. Results: Concussed players scored significantly below nonconcussed controls on all SAC measures and significantly below their own pre-injury baseline performance. Follow-up testing documented return to preinjury baseline. Conclusion: These findings support the SAC's effectiveness in detecting concussion and tracking recovery in order to determine a player's fitness to return to play.