NFHS Advanced Techniques & Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which validated sideline assessment tool uses a standardized balance component, cognitive assessment, and symptom evaluation together?
- SCAT6 (Correct answer)
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- Romberg Test
- BESS only
Correct answer: SCAT6
The SCAT6 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6) integrates symptom checklists, cognitive screening, and balance testing into one validated sideline instrument.
Question 2: When performing the Maddocks Questions during a sideline concussion assessment, what is primarily being evaluated?
- Long-term declarative memory
- Acute orientation and immediate memory relevant to the game (Correct answer)
- Retrograde amnesia from childhood
- Visual-spatial processing
Correct answer: Acute orientation and immediate memory relevant to the game
Maddocks Questions assess acute orientation using game-specific information (e.g., score, opponent) to detect post-concussive disorientation.
Question 3: A certified athletic trainer suspects a concussion but the athlete denies symptoms to stay in the game. What is the most appropriate advanced assessment strategy?
- Accept the athlete's self-report and allow return
- Apply objective tools such as balance testing and cognitive screening regardless of self-report (Correct answer)
- Wait 15 minutes and reassess if symptoms appear
- Only remove the athlete if a physician is present
Correct answer: Apply objective tools such as balance testing and cognitive screening regardless of self-report
Objective sideline tools like balance and cognitive assessments reduce reliance on athlete self-report, which is frequently unreliable due to pressure to continue playing.
Question 4: The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) evaluates postural stability across how many stances?
- 2 stances on 1 surface
- 3 stances on 2 surfaces (6 conditions) (Correct answer)
- 4 stances on 1 surface
- 5 stances on 3 surfaces
Correct answer: 3 stances on 2 surfaces (6 conditions)
BESS uses double-leg, single-leg, and tandem stances on both firm and foam surfaces, yielding 6 total conditions scored by counting errors.
Question 5: What does a positive King-Devick (K-D) test result indicate in a sideline concussion screening context?
- Improved saccadic eye movement speed
- Slower number-reading time compared to baseline, suggesting concussion (Correct answer)
- Normal vestibular function
- Absence of post-concussive symptoms
Correct answer: Slower number-reading time compared to baseline, suggesting concussion
A slower K-D test time compared to the athlete's own baseline is a positive finding associated with concussion affecting saccadic eye movements.
Question 6: During a graded symptom evaluation, which domain should be assessed beyond physical symptoms when monitoring concussion recovery?
- Nutritional intake
- Cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms (Correct answer)
- Muscle strength and flexibility
- Cardiovascular endurance
Correct answer: Cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms
Comprehensive concussion symptom evaluation includes physical, cognitive, emotional/behavioral, and sleep domains, not just headache or dizziness alone.
Question 7: Which advanced clinical technique involves progressively challenging an athlete's exertion level to determine safe return-to-sport readiness after concussion?
- Cranial nerve examination
- Subsymptom-threshold aerobic exercise testing (Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test) (Correct answer)
- MRI diffusion tensor imaging
- Neuropsychological ink-blot testing
Correct answer: Subsymptom-threshold aerobic exercise testing (Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test)
The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test determines the heart-rate threshold at which symptoms re-emerge, guiding safe aerobic rehabilitation and return-to-sport decisions.
NFHS Advanced Techniques & Methods 2
Which validated sideline assessment tool uses a standardized balance component, cognitive assessment, and symptom evaluation together?