Pitchside Assessment: FAQ

Baseline Testing

Can the King-Devick Test in association with Mayo Clinic (K-D Test) be used without a baseline?
Every student/athlete needs to have a K-D Test baseline in order to complete a K-D Test post-suspected head injury assessment. Baseline assessments take approximately 2 minutes to administer.
Is there normative data for the K-D Test?
The K-D Test does not use normative data for concussion evaluation. The student/athlete is always compared to his/her personal baseline.
How often do I need to re-check the subject’s baseline?
Subjects over 10 years old need their baselines re-established annually. Subjects 10 years and younger should re-check their baselines every six months. The K-D Test software requires annual or semi-annual re-administering and rerecording of a subjects' baseline K-D Test performance.
Why do I have to do two tests in determining a K-D Test baseline?
There is a learning curve associated with the K-D Test. On average, there is an improvement in K-D Test times after multiple attempts for non-concussed subjects. The subject’s baseline will be the faster of the two attempts. The baseline time should be the subject’s personal best with no errors. Any K-D Test completed with no errors and is faster than the established baseline becomes the subject’s new baseline time.
What is the average completion time of the 3 test cards for subjects over 14 years old?
On average, subjects 14 and older complete the whole test in less than 60 seconds. However, it may take longer than 60 seconds for subjects that have reading disabilities, etc.
What if the subject is under 10 years old and cannot complete the 3 test cards for baseline testing without errors?
In order to ensure the highest sensitivity possible, it is recommended that subjects complete as many test cards as possible error-free for baseline testing. If a subject is less than 10 years old and makes 5+ uncorrected errors in his/her first baseline attempt, eliminate test card #3, and re-test using the cumulative error-free time of the first 2 test cards for the baseline. The number of test cards used in baseline testing must be indicated on the score sheet for post-injury testing.

Post-Suspected Head Injury Testing

Vision is a big part of how brain function is measured. The eyes are actually part of the brain; therefore, the visual pathways give a widespread overview of what’s happening with the brain during concussion. Impaired eye movements can be apparent even when athletes appear to be asymptomatic or “fine” after a suspected head injury.

When should the K-D Test be administered for concussion screening?

Administer the K-D Test any time a subject experiences a suspected head injury. An incident can occur during a sporting event, physical education or recess.

Also, the K-D Test can be administered to every athlete after every game. The K-D Test has been shown in published studies to detect un-witnessed or unreported concussions.

Who can administer the K-D Test on the sidelines?
Anyone trained on how to use the K-D Test can administer the test – coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses, team managers, or parents. You do not have to be a medical professional to administer the K-D Test.
How long after a suspected head injury should the K-D Test be administered?
The K-D Test can be administered immediately following and up to 36 hours after a suspected head injury.
How does a subject fail K-D Test?

(Any of the below)

  1. Any worsening (increased) K-D Test time compared to the subject’s baseline
  2. Any uncorrected errors
What happens if a subject performs faster than his/her baseline with no errors?
If a subject performs faster than his/her baseline with no errors, that attempt will be the subject’s NEW baseline time. The fastest, error-free attempt of K-D Test will always be a subject’s baseline.
What happens if the subject performs slower than his/her baseline or makes errors?
The subject should be removed-from-play immediately and be referred to a licensed medical professional.
Does exhaustion affect a subject’s ability to perform the K-D Test?
Studies published in neurological journals, such as The Journal of Neurological Sciences, have proven the K-D Test to be robust to physical fatigue and exercise.