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EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX AND COMPUTERIZED NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND SYMPTOM REPORTS

Abstract

Katie Stephenson-Brown1, Nathan R. D’Amico1, R.J. Elbin1

1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR;

Body mass index (BMI) is inversely related to neurocognitive performance. Specifically, decreased performance on episodic memory, verbal learning, delayed recall and word recognition tasks are associated with increased BMI. However, these findings are primarily from studies using traditional, paper-and-pencil neurocognitive assessments. Computerized versions of these assessments have become more popular due to the increased ease of administration and scoring. However, there are a lack of data corroborating previous findings, that use traditional neurocognitive evaluation to more recent computerized versions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between BMI and computerized neurocognitive performance and symptoms. METHODS: Eight hundred sixty-one high school athletes between the age of 13 and 18 (15.01 ± 1.07 years) completed a preseason (i.e., baseline) computerized neurocognitive assessment as part of their pre-participation physical examination. Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized neurocognitive battery that assesses verbal and visual memory, visual motor speed, reaction time, and symptoms. BMI was calculated from height (in) and weight (lb), which was reported on the demographics portion of the ImPACT battery. Pearson product moment correlations were performed to examine the relationship between BMI and ImPACT composite scores and total symptoms. RESULTS: The average BMI of all participants was 23.32 (± 4.15). BMI was significantly correlated with worse outcomes on verbal memory (r = -0.72, p <0.01), visual motor speed (r = -0.17, p <0.01), reaction time (r = 0.10, p < 0.01), and impulse control (r = 0.07, p = 0.04); however, there was no correlation with visual memory (r = -0.05, p = 0.18) or total symptoms (r = 0.01, p = 0.86). CONCLUSION: The current findings reveal several significant relationships between BMI and neurocognitive performance from a computerized neurocognitive assessment and are consistent with previous literature that utilized paper-and-pencil neurocognitive measures. Therefore, these findings further support the use of ImPACT as a tool for neurocognitive assessment.

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