Neuropsychologists call for elimination of race-norming in clinical tests following NFL concussion controversy

Top neuropsychologists have called for the elimination of race-norming in clinical testing, after an ABC News investigation into the NFL's concussion settlement program.

The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychologists (AACN), the professional organization that sets standards and practices for the field of neuropsychology, has called for "the elimination of race as a variable in demographically-based normative test interpretation," the controversial practice widely known as race-norming.

The move comes amid a firestorm of criticism following an ABC News investigation of alleged racial bias in the National Football League's landmark concussion settlement program. ABC News uncovered emails and data suggesting race-based adjustments to former players' cognitive test scores made it more difficult for Black former players to qualify for compensation from the league for head injuries sustained on the field of play.

In a position statement provided to ABC News, the AACN acknowledged fundamental flaws with race-norming and signaled its support for the development of new testing protocols in neuropsychology that do not rely on race as a proxy for environmental influences that lead to inequity.

"Indeed, sampling of racial minority populations in the U.S. has been limited and inconsistent when creating neuropsychology test norms," the statement's authors wrote. "Use of unrepresentative norms can result in diagnostic error, as well as stigmatization of minority populations based on supposed disparities in neuropsychological ability."