It is hard to find a topic in neuropsychology over the past decade that has enjoyed as much attention, both in the scientific literature and general media, than concussion (or mild traumatic brain injury). The Handbook of Sport Neuropsychology bills itself as a comprehensive reference book for an emerging discipline. However, the main focus of the book is concussion in sports, which leads the reader wondering if another volume on this topic is necessary. In short, this book does add something new to the existing reference literature on concussion in sports and would be a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any neuropsychologist who works with those who experience a sport concussion. The editor has assembled an impressive list of chapter authors who have produced concisely written chapters on a variety of topics relevant to concussion in athletes. Many of these topics have been covered in other sport concussion books, but this volume includes several unique chapters that make the overall text an important contribution to the field.

The book is divided into four distinct and well-organized parts. Part I provides an overview of sport neuropsychology, including a discussion of the definition and rationale for a discipline of sport neuropsychology, as well as a discussion of the qualifications and training necessary to practice as a sport neuropsychologist. The section concludes with a nice discussion of specific ethical issues that may arise when working with athletes. Although the initial chapter provides a rationale for considering sport neuropsychology a discipline, it was not clear to me how sports neuropsychology is any different from doing neuropsychological evaluations with concussed athletes. Similarly, the chapter on qualifications and training was somewhat equivocal regarding whether conducting neuropsychological evaluations with concussed athletes is a “sport neuropsychology” activity. At times, the chapter seemed to suggest that only qualified “sport neuropsychologists” should perform neuropsychological evaluations with concussed athletes, a position with which many readers may take issue.

Part II of the book, “Sport-related Concussion,” contains many chapter topics that have been addressed in other books on sport concussion. Included are chapters on the history and epidemiology of concussion and a nice review of experimental neuroimaging techniques used in concussion populations. This section also includes three chapters (5, 6, & 8) that address, in different ways, the issue of neuropsychological assessment in sports concussion. The issue of the “baseline” testing model, prevalent in sport concussion, is discussed in these chapters. Chapter 5 introduces the history of the baseline testing model but does not provide a critique of the methodology used in that model. Fortunately, Chapter 6 includes a nice critical review of the evidence supporting the use of neuropsychological testing in sport concussion. The evidence base for neuropsychological assessment in concussion is further discussed in Chapter 8. This section also includes nice reviews of the effects of repeated concussions and concussion in youth sports, an often-neglected topic. Finally, section two includes reviews of computerized neuropsychological assessment methods, as well as concussion management programs in college and professional sports. These latter two chapters would be informative to the practicing neuropsychologist given the popularity of computerized testing in high school, college, and professional sports programs.

I was pleased to see that the editor included a section on counseling and therapy issues (Part III). This is important because many books on concussion tend to focus on the cognitive symptoms and pay little attention to the important emotional and behavioral symptoms that can sometimes follow concussion. This section includes discussions of counseling with athletes who are having neurocognitive concerns, as well as the potential short-term and long-term emotional correlates of concussion. What is missing from this section is information to guide psychological interventions with this population, such as previous attempts to develop treatment programs for post-concussion syndrome. In addition, a separate chapter on the current state of understanding regarding the concept of “post-concussion syndrome” would have fit nicely in this section.

The final Part IV, “New Directions in Sport Neuropsychology,” includes an interesting discussion of the controversial topic of heading in soccer. Chapter 16 provides a unique discussion of concussion management and neuropsychology from the perspective of athletic department administrators. The first author of this chapter, a college athletic director and psychologist, provides a rare perspective on the role of neuropsychology in concussion management. Chapter 17 on neuromotor effects of concussion seems out of place in this section and may have added more to the second section of the book. Chapter 18 includes an interesting discussion of how sports participation plays a role in the neurocognitive development of children. The editor concludes the book with a review of future directions in sport neuropsychology, including a call for more evidence base for the use of neuropsychological evaluation, public education, and the participation of neuropsychologists in local and state legislation regarding return to play after concussion.

The Handbook of Sport Neuropsychology would be a useful addition to the library of any neuropsychologist who works with concussed athletes. To this reader, the book raises questions about the necessity of the discipline of “sport neuropsychology” and how this discipline would differ from providing neuropsychological evaluations with concussed athletes. In addition, the book would have benefited from a more thorough critique of the baseline testing model, as well as a chapter on the current state of research on the concept of post-concussion syndrome. The strengths of the book include the impressive list of chapter authors, as well as unique chapters on the ethics of providing neuropsychological services to athletes, experimental neuroimaging techniques in concussion, and the emotional/therapeutic needs of this population.