Over the last decade, neurocognitive baseline testing has moved from a research curiosity to a fixture of college athletics. Used well, a baseline gives the clinician a personalized reference point when an athlete is concussed. Used poorly, it becomes a number that gives false reassurance.
What the evidence supports
The strongest consensus is simple: concussion is a clinical diagnosis, and no single test should drive return-to-play decisions. Baseline and post-injury neurocognitive testing is one useful input alongside symptom reporting, balance assessment and a graded exertion progression. The Foundation's Center for Concussion Assessment, Management and Testing gathers the position statements and journal articles that define current practice.
Common pitfalls
Athletes sandbagging their baseline, tests administered in noisy group settings, and clinicians treating a return to baseline as a green light regardless of symptoms are the three failures we see most. A baseline is a tool, not a verdict.
Browse the full set of concussion resources, including neuropsychological testing models and return-to-play guidance, in our concussion library.