A - 21 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Post-Concussion Performance on the ImPACT

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Abstract Purpose To investigate whether there are differences between individuals with and without a diagnosis of ADHD on cognitive measures and symptom reporting post-concussion. Method Participants were selected from an archival de-identified database. The sample consisted of 198 (47.7% male, 52.3% female) student-athletes with a mean age of 19.67 years. All student-athletes were administered the ImPACT post-concussion. The student athletes were further divided into two groups: having a prior diagnosis of ADHD (N = 66 Mage = 19.55, 54.5% males, 59.1% females) and not having a prior diagnosis of ADHD (N = 66 Mage = 19.79, 40.9% males, 45.5% females). Multiple independent samples t-tests were utilized to compare symptom report scores between the two groups. Results No significant differences were found between the groups on measures of verbal memory [t(130) = −1.032, p = 0.304], visual memory [t(130) = −0.541, p = 0.589], visual motor function [t(130) = −0.833, p = 0.406], reaction time [t(130) = 1.302, p = 0.194], and impulse control [t(130) = 1.305, p = 0.194]. There were no differences in symptoms reported with the exception of difficulty concentrating [t(130) = 2.169, p = 0.032]. Conclusions There were no differences in cognitive performance and symptom reporting between student athletes with and without ADHD. This suggests that there may be little to no influence of ADHD on post-concussion performance. Further research should be conducted to examine the effect of ADHD for athletes following SRC.