Making it harder to ‘outsmart’ concussion tests

Concussion testing on the athletic field depends upon comparing an athlete’s post-concussion neurocognitive performance with the results of a previously administered baseline test. Experts believe some athletes, in hopes of a quicker post-injury return to play, may ‘sandbag’ the concussion test by giving a lackadaisical baseline performance. A researcher has developed a statistical technique to detect when an athlete is sandbagging.