Baseline SCAT5 performance in Spanish rugby players of different levels

AbstractBackground Concussion is frequent in contact sports, with rugby being one of the sports with the highest rates of concussion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the baseline Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT5) values in community Hispanic rugby players of both sexes. Methods The SCAT5 was administered as part of the pre-season medical testing to 219 Hispanic rugby players (female = 81; male = 138). Results Most of the community Spanish rugby players presented some symptom in the SCAT5 (male = 75.4%; female = 91.4%). The number and severity of the symptoms reported by the male players were lower than those reported by the female players (p = 0.001). The time to complete the tandem gait test and balance showed differences between sexes (p < 0.001). Conclusions The baseline SCAT5 values of community Spanish rugby players are different from the baseline SCAT5 values of professional players, which leads to the recommendation of conducting the SCAT5 in all players before the beginning of the season. If the baseline evaluation of the players cannot be performed, it is adequate to use reference values of the population with the most similar characteristics.