Master of Science

thesisSideline concussion assessments can prove difficult in situations where athletes claim to be asymptomatic and do not present with obvious cognitive deficit. More thorough neurocognitive assessments, such as Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), can be difficult to administer on the sideline and are not always conclusive. The Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screen (VOMS) is designed to assess the vestibular and ocular symptomology of an individual suspected of suffering a concussion and has shown promising preliminary findings. This study sought to determine if the VOMS would correlate with current concussion assessment methods in acute settings. Participants were recruited from local high schools and included football athletes who sustained a suspected concussion. Athletes suspected of a concussion were administered a subsection of the VOMS before other concussion assessment methods. Results were compared to the Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT 3) and ImPACT tests to determine the ability of the VOMS to assess the presence of concussion in acute situations. It was hypothesized the VOMS would correlate with concussion evaluations and lend more support to the diagnosis. Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis and Phi correlations were conducted. The study concluded with a sample of 11 athletes evaluated for suspected concussion with five concussions diagnosed through assessments other than the VOMS. Our study findings revealed that relationship and diagnostic ability were evident regarding specific symptoms within individual tests, which comprises the VOMS. However, the subset of the VOMS utilized for this test did not prove to be a viable test metric to determine the presence of an acute concussion. Interestingly, significant relationships and diagnostic capability were identified within this tested subset of the VOMS, specifically regarding concussion suspicion when fogginess and dizziness are present. Further research is warranted to determine if these findings can be used in a diagnostic capacity, though at minimum, our study findings provide a basis for increased clinical suspicion of concussion when these symptoms are present