Citation

Echemendia RJ, Bauer RM. Psychol. Inj. Law 2015; 8(4): 289-299.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12207-015-9241-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There has been unprecedented interest in sport-related concussions from many and varied sources including media, sports leagues, players' unions, lawyers, legislators, scientists, clinicians, parents, coaches, and the athletes themselves. This interest has been fueled by epidemiologic data which indicate that concussions frequently occur at all ages, at all levels of play, and across a broad range of sports. The ubiquitous nature of the injury has also been coupled with concerns about whether and what type of relationships may exist between sports-related brain injury and the development of later neurodegenerative disease processes. The development of Sports Neuropsychology has largely paralleled the interest in sports concussions, making it a young and rapidly growing area of clinical and research interest. The youth of sports neuropsychology coupled with a focus on a poorly defined injury while being subject to unprecedented media, public, legislative, and legal scrutiny presents unique and important challenges to the ethical practice of sports neuropsychology. This paper explores these challenges by reviewing the brief history of sports neuropsychology, providing a basic review of the APA Code of Ethics, and discussing key ethical constructs such as beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy. The role of ethnic/racial cultural considerations in sports neuropsychology is discussed as well as ethical questions related to test use and development, the various roles that sports neuropsychologists play in sports medicine, and several illustrations of the challenges faced by sports neuropsychologists related to confidentiality, competence, role definition, and role boundaries. Although this article does not provide simple answers to complex questions, it does highlight areas in need of thoughtful discourse for clinicians engaged in the dynamic and evolving nature of ethical sports neuropsychology practice.

Language: en