EFFECTS OF READING DIRECTION ON KING-DEVICK TEST PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The King-Devick test (KDT) is a concussion assessment tool that requires individuals to read single-digit numbers as fast and as accurately as possible on either test cards or a tablet. Although there has been sufficient research conducted on the KDT, there is no current research on the effects of reading direction on KDT times The purpose of this study is to determine performance on KDT being read from left to right compared to right to left. Twelve subjects were recruited to participate in this study. Inclusion criteria included being between the ages of 18 and 26, being enrolled as a student at Indiana University, and being a fluent English speaker. Exclusion criteria included proficient fluency of any language that reads right to left or top to bottom and, a history of being diagnosed with a concussion, any visual, ocular, or brain injury within the past 12 months, any history of an eye movement disorder, any noncorrected visual impairment, and a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or a language processing disorder. Subjects are randomly assigned within each group to one of two forms of the KDT: the traditional assessment or a reverse reading direction version (R-KDT). The participants will then complete their version of the KDT twice and the researcher will record the total time and number of errors on the subject data collection sheet. The effect of reading direction on KDT performance will be examined using an independent t-test. For all tests, significance will be set a priori to α = 0.05. The mean of the control group was 42.7 ± 3.6 and the experimental group was 50.7 ±9.7 sec. There was no significant difference between the groups when comparing subject’s time. When comparing the number of errors the range for the control group was 0-4 and the experimental group was 0-1. There was no significant difference between the groups when comparing subject’s time. There is no significant difference between reading direction and KDT performance. Further research is needed with a larger and more diverse sample size before any conclusions can be made.