Type	Examples		Comments
Symptom checklists	Postconcussion Symptom Scale Graded Symptom Checklist Head Injury Scale McGill Abbreviated Concussion Evaluation (ACE) postconcussion symptom scale HeadMinder Concussion Symptom Inventory		The most commonly used type of concussion assessment tool
			Quick, easy, cost-effective tool with good sensitivity; allows athletes to self-report symptoms
			Cautions: symptoms may be delayed, may not be reported, or were already present at baseline
			Most checklists developed using clinical judgment; the Concussion Symptom Inventory is the only empirically derived symptom checklist
Neuropsychological tests	Written Trail Making Test Digit Symbol Substitution Test Controlled Oral Word Association Test Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Stroop Color and Word Test Computer-based HeadMinder CogSport ImPACT Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics		Designed to identify subtle cognitive deficits
			Written tests are labor intensive and must be interpreted, whereas computer-based tests can be administered rapidly and to multiple patients simultaneously
			Results best interpreted when compared with baseline data; affected by psychiatric disorders, physical symptoms, cultural factors, and motivation/effort
			These tests are not validated, and no data demonstrate that they affect outcomes when used to guide return to play
			There are limited baseline data in children younger than 12 years; child-specific computerized tests are under development
Postural stability testing	BESS (and modified version SOT		Very sensitive for concussion diagnosis, but there are limited data regarding its use in monitoring recovery
			SOT is the preferred test, but it is not portable; BESS is inexpensive and easy to administer on the sideline of a sporting event
			Instability usually lasts three to five days after a concussion occurs
Sideline assessment tools	SAC SCAT SCAT2		A single, simple tool to assess a variety of domains in the initial concussion assessment
			Often used to monitor the recovery process
			SAC can be used immediately after injury to evaluate orientation, memory, concentration, and delayed recall; validated as a sideline tool for athletes junior high school–aged and older; emergency department version is validated in adults
			SCAT2 combines multiple assessment tools (symptom checklist, concentration and memory tasks [Maddock's questions], SAC, BESS, and Glasgow Coma Scale); it is not validated but is widely used and the most sophisticated sideline tool available