. 2021 Oct 22:3:737402.

doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.737402. eCollection 2021.

Can Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) Symptom Scores Be Converted to Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) Scores and Vice Versa? Findings From the Toronto Concussion Study

Laura Kathleen Langer¹, Paul Comper^{2

3

4}, Lesley Ruttan^{1

5}, Cristina Saverino⁶, Seyed Mohammad Alavinia^{1

7}, Elizabeth L Inness^{1

4

8}, Alice Kam², David W Lawrence^{2

3}, Alan Tam^{2

6}, Tharshini Chandra^{1

2}, Evan Foster^{1

2}, Mark T Bayley^{1

2

7}

Affiliations

¹ KITE Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Division of Physical Medicine and Rehab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 34778758
PMCID: PMC8583872
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.737402

Can Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) Symptom Scores Be Converted to Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) Scores and Vice Versa? Findings From the Toronto Concussion Study

Laura Kathleen Langer et al. Front Sports Act Living. 2021.

. 2021 Oct 22:3:737402.

doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.737402. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ KITE Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Division of Physical Medicine and Rehab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 34778758
PMCID: PMC8583872
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.737402

Abstract

Background: The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) and the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) are widely used self-report tools assessing the type, number, and severity of concussion symptoms. There are overlapping symptoms and domains, though they are scored differently. The SCAT consists of 22 questions with a 7-point Likert scale for a total possible score 132. The RPQ has 16 questions and a 5-point Likert scale for a total of 64 possible points. Being able to convert between the two scores would facilitate comparison of results in the concussion literature. Objectives: To develop equations to convert scores on the SCAT to the RPQ and vice versa. Methods: Adults (17-85 years) diagnosed with a concussion at a referring emergency department were seen in the Hull-Ellis Concussion and Research Clinic, a rapid access concussion clinic at Toronto Rehab-University Health Network (UHN) Toronto Canada, within 7 days of injury. The RPQ and SCAT symptom checklists as well as demographic questionnaires were administered to all participants at Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16. Results: 215 participants had 1,168 matched RPQ and SCAT assessments. Total scores of the RPQ and the SCAT had a rho = 0.91 (p < 0.001); correlations were lower for sub-scores of specific symptom domains (range 0.74-0.87, p < 0.001 for all domain comparisons). An equation was derived to calculate SCAT scores using the number and severity of symptoms on the RPQ. Estimated scores were within 3 points of the observed total score on the SCAT. A second equation was derived to calculate the RPQ from the proportion weighted total score of the SCAT. This equation estimated corresponding scores within 3 points of the observed score on the RPQ. Conclusions: The RPQ and SCAT symptom checklists total scores are highly correlated and can be used to estimate the total score on the corresponding assessment. The symptom subdomains are also strongly correlated between the 2 scales however not as strongly correlated as the total score. The equations will enable researchers and clinicians to quickly convert between the scales and to directly compare concussion research findings.

Keywords: Rivermead Post-concussion Questionnaire; Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT5); concussion; conversion equation; mild traumatic brain injuries; sports related concussion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Spearman correlation between Rivermead post-Concussion Symptoms Score (RPQ) total score and Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) total score. Rho = 0.91 p < 0.0001.

**Figure 2**
Spearman correlation between the number of symptoms endorsed on the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) and the number of symptoms endorsed on the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT). Rho = 0.77 p < 0.0001.

**Figure 3**
Predicted Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) scores plotted against the actual SCAT scores.

**Figure 4**
Predicted Rivermead post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) scores plotted against actual RPQ scores.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Can Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) Symptom Scores Be Converted to Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) Scores and Vice Versa? Findings From the Toronto Concussion Study

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Can Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) Symptom Scores Be Converted to Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) Scores and Vice Versa? Findings From the Toronto Concussion Study

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