The effect of linguistic background on rapid number naming: implications for native versus non-native English speakers on sideline-focused concussion assessments.
John-Ross Rizzo, Todd E Hudson, Prin X Amorapanth and 11 others
PMID 30182749WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy non-native English speakers named King-Devick numbers more slowly than native English speakers and had longer pauses between eye movements.
The more dominant they were in their first language, the longer the pauses.
Key findings
01Healthy non-native English speakers had longer total King-Devick completion times than healthy native English speakers: 54.4 ± 15.1 seconds; native speakers: 43.8 ± 8.6 seconds (p = 0.002).
02Healthy non-native English speakers had longer pauses between eye movements than healthy native English speakers: 346.3 ± 78.3 ms; native speakers: 286.1 ± 49.7 ms (p = 0.001).
03Among non-native English speakers, stronger dominance in their first language was associated with longer pauses between eye movements (r = -0.69, p = 0.001).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was done in healthy volunteers, not in athletes or people with concussion, so it cannot show how language background affects sideline diagnosis. It was a pilot study with 42 native English speakers and 27 non-native English speakers. The non-native group included many different languages and a wide range of English dominance. The authors note that the variable language dominance in the non-native group is a limitation and call for larger studies with specific languages.
Declared interests
The article lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support. The declaration of interest statement gives no specific conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read slower King-Devick times in non-native English speakers as concussion or neurological impairment. The participants were healthy volunteers, and the slower times were associated with first-language dominance and longer pauses between eye movements.