Project 462681

The gap. Clearing youth to return-to-play (RtoP) after a sports-related concussion is a difficult clinical decision. There are no assessments that mimic sport so clinicians use simple measures (e.g., tests of memory, balance) to make a complex decision. Researchers at Holland Bloorview (HB) have created a system, R2Play, which can present and score sport-like tasks with the help of low-cost technology. Early testing has shown that it is easy to use, sport-like, and fun with potential to inform RtoP decisions. Our plan. At HB, R2Play works, but it is important to know if other clinics across Canada can also use it successfully. In Study #1, three other concussion clinics across Canada will try R2Play. Clinicians and youth will tell us if they think R2Play is feasible to use, valuable for clinical decision-making, and sport-like. In Study #2, we will study if R2Play scores are valid (i.e., measures what it is supposed to) and reliable (i.e., produce consistent results). To do this, we will ask 120 youth who experienced a sport-related concussion and 120 healthy youth to complete R2Play twice so that their scores can be compared. We will see how/if R2Play scores agree with other concussion assessments. We will also study if R2Play scores can differentiate between youth who have experienced a concussion and those who have not. Last, in Study #3, we will adapt R2Play for para-athletes. This will be done through stakeholder focus groups and feasibility testing and in partnership with the Ontario ParaSport Games. We believe that it is very important to include youth who are diverse on gender, sex, age, and disability to promote equity in concussion care. Impact. R2Play is the only sport-like concussion assessment of its kind. This project will help to move R2Play from the lab into clinical practice. This work will eventually lead to a new standard of care for youth after concussion and ensure confidence in their ability to RtoP safely.