Objective To evaluate psychometric properties of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).

Design Retrospective clinical study in which athletes completed the SCAT over 2 consecutive seasons. Athletic therapists administered the SCAT and a pre-season medical questionnaire.

Setting University setting.

Participants 165 college athletes who were enrolled at a university in Western Canada who played collision sports.

Intervention the SCAT2 and subsequently the SCAT3 was administered to all participants at baseline.

Main outcome measures Intraclass coefficients (ICC’s) and paired sample t-tests.

Main results The intraclass reliability coefficients for demographic variables ranged from moderate to good (0.66 to 0.94). The reliability of the cognitive test results and balance error scoring system (BESS) was rated as good (0.83 and 0.88 respectively). Total symptom report and symptom severity report was moderate, with significant differences noted between males and females. History of concussion did not significantly impact reliability coefficients. Among the 22 athletes who suffered concussions during a competitive season, the reliability of the core components of the SCAT remained high.

Conclusions The reliability of the SCAT2/3 is classified as good although symptom report is more variable

Competing interests None.

Keywords: concussion, sport concussion assessment tool, psychometric properties