Affective Disturbance and Neurocognitive Variability in College Athletes.

This article investigates the relationship between co-occurring depression and anxiety and intraindividual variability (IIV) in neurocognitive performance among collegiate athletes at baseline, prior to concussion. In a sample of 835 athletes grouped by mood status—Healthy Mood, Depression Alone, Anxiety Alone, and Co-Occurring Depression/Anxiety—the study found that only athletes with co-occurring depression and anxiety exhibited significantly greater variability in memory task performance compared to other groups, while no differences were observed in attention/processing speed or global variability. These findings suggest that co-occurring mood disturbances may lead to inconsistent cognitive functioning, particularly in learning and recall, which has implications for concussion management and the interpretation of neuropsychological testing. The study emphasizes the importance of baseline mental health screening in athletes to better inform post-concussion evaluations and individualized care.