Saccades and Memory: Baseline Correlations of the King-Devick and SCAT2 Tests in Professional Hockey Players

The King-Devick (K-D) test, a vision-based measure based on the speed of rapid-number-naming, has been proposed as a sideline tool to detect sports-related concussion. Requiring <1 minute to administer, the K-D test captures impaired eye movements and saccades, findings that correlate with suboptimal brain function. K-D time scores are significantly higher (worse) in athletes immediately following concussion, consistent with involvement of widely distributed visual pathways. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation of K-D scores to the more cognitively-based components of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT2) in a professional hockey team cohort during pre-season baseline testing. We also examined changes in K-D and modified SCAT2 scores (without balance testing due to skates) for two athletes who developed concussion and had rinkside testing.