NFHS Injury Recognition & Symptom Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A lacrosse player is hit in the head and later reports difficulty falling asleep that night despite feeling tired. Which symptom category does sleep disturbance fall under in NFHS concussion classification?
- Physical symptoms
- Cognitive symptoms
- Emotional symptoms
- Sleep/arousal symptoms (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Sleep/arousal symptoms
Sleep disturbances such as difficulty falling asleep, sleeping more or less than usual, and drowsiness are classified as sleep/arousal symptoms of concussion.
Question 2: Which standardized on-field assessment tool is commonly recommended by NFHS for evaluating concussion symptoms in the immediate aftermath of a suspected injury?
- GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale)
- SCAT (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) (Correct answer)
- MRI neuroimaging
- EEG brainwave analysis
Correct answer: SCAT (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool)
The SCAT (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) is a standardized sideline tool widely recommended for immediate concussion evaluation by trained personnel.
Question 3: After a heading duel in soccer, an athlete complains of seeing double. The medical term for this visual symptom is:
- Photophobia
- Diplopia (Correct answer)
- Nystagmus
- Mydriasis
Correct answer: Diplopia
Diplopia means double vision and is a recognized symptom of concussion that warrants removal from play.
Question 4: An athlete who sustained a concussion during practice becomes unusually emotional and cries without a clear reason later that day. This represents which type of concussion symptom?
- Cognitive symptom
- Physical symptom
- Emotional/mood symptom (Correct answer)
- Sleep symptom
Correct answer: Emotional/mood symptom
Emotional lability, including unexplained crying, irritability, or mood swings, falls under the emotional/mood symptom category of concussion.
Question 5: A coach notices an athlete walking in an unsteady, uncoordinated manner after a collision. This balance problem is a concussion symptom that can be assessed using:
- The BESS (Balance Error Scoring System) (Correct answer)
- An X-ray of the spine
- A blood pressure cuff
- A spirometer
Correct answer: The BESS (Balance Error Scoring System)
The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is a validated tool for assessing postural stability, which is often impaired following a concussion.
Question 6: Which scenario BEST illustrates retrograde amnesia following a concussion?
- An athlete cannot remember what happened after the hit
- An athlete cannot remember events that occurred before the hit (Correct answer)
- An athlete cannot remember their team's plays going forward
- An athlete forgets how to perform basic motor skills
Correct answer: An athlete cannot remember events that occurred before the hit
Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall events that occurred before the injury, as opposed to anterograde amnesia which affects memory after the event.
Question 7: A football player reports feeling pressure in the head rather than a traditional headache after a tackle. How should this symptom be treated in concussion assessment?
- Ignored, since it is not a headache
- Noted as a non-concussion symptom
- Recognized as a valid headache variant and included in symptom evaluation (Correct answer)
- Attributed only to neck muscle tension
Correct answer: Recognized as a valid headache variant and included in symptom evaluation
Head pressure is considered a headache variant and is a recognized concussion symptom that should be included in the symptom evaluation checklist.
NFHS Injury Recognition & Symptom Evaluation 3
A lacrosse player is hit in the head and later reports difficulty falling asleep that night despite feeling tired.
Which symptom category does sleep disturbance fall under in NFHS concussion classification?