Standardized assessment of concussion (SAC): on-site mental status evaluation of the athlete.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the clinical utility of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) in detecting concussion in athletes.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
McCrea
M
M
Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha, WI 53188, USA.
Kelly
J P
JP
Randolph
C
C
Kluge
J
J
Bartolic
E
E
Finn
G
G
Baxter
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results