The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Annual SCAT baseline measures in elite professional rugby union show generally stable test-retest reliability across seasons, with MDC90 thresholds of one unit for several domains.
- Why it matters: World Rugby’s HIA protocol flags any SCAT score one worse than baseline as abnormal, but the smallest change that reflects real variation versus measurement noise was unclear.
- What they did: Using World Rugby’s SCRM App data, the study linked SCAT baseline and clinical records by SCRM ID and computed absolute agreement, single-measure intraclass correlation, and standard error of measurement, then derived MDC90 at 90% using a distribution-based approach comparing players with vs without interim concussion.
- The result: Across 7,686 players (20% women), reliability metrics were similar regardless of recorded concussions, and rounded MDC90 exceeded one unit for immediate memory, delayed recall, and single leg balance, while digits backwards, concentration, and tandem gait equalled one unit.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.