Concussion Risk Factors Identified at Baseline Testing

Concussion Risk Factors Identified at Baseline Testing
Author: Chelsea Anne Page
Publisher:
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN:

Background: Research remains limited in examining potential risk factors that predispose athletes to sustaining a concussion during play. Identifying premorbid risk factors that can influence a concussive injury would provide athletic trainers, physicians, and other health care professionals with information about markers that might increase an athlete's vulnerability to suffering a concussion on the field. Such an approach is in keeping with primary prevention efforts and proper clinical management of head injuries. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the extent of known or suspected risk factors for concussion measured during pre-season baseline testing. Method: Participants in this study included approximately 600 student athletes, men and women, 18-22 years of age, and representing students from the United States as well as international students. All student athletes completed the Concussion Resolution Index (CRI) and Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool, edition three (SCAT3) as part of pre-competition medical evaluation. Results: A MANOVA revealed no differences between concussion history and the CRI indices as a group. Univariate comparisons for the three CRI indices revealed a significant difference due to the number of concussions for the Processing Speed (PS) index but not for the Simple Reaction Time (SRT) or Complex Reaction Time (CRT). A correction revealed that within the Processing Speed Index, the "none" concussion group was significantly different from the "more than one" concussion group. To determine whether athletes with a history of a concussion would endorse a greater number of concussion related symptoms than those without a concussion, an ANOVA comparison revealed a significant difference in the concussion groups. A post hoc Bonferroni test indicated that there was a significant difference between the "none" concussion group and "one" concussion group in the total number of symptoms. A Chi Square test compared the ratio of "yes/no" concussion history for male athletes and female athletes at baseline and post-trauma and revealed that non-football male athletes were no more likely to report having had a concussion than female athletes. A total of 19.6% of the male athletes endorsed having a concussion history, whereas, 17.3% of the female athletes reported a concussion history. A t-test compared the total number of symptoms and ratings of symptom severity in male and female athletes and revealed no difference in total symptom report, but females reported significantly more severe symptoms. A MANOVA compared the emotional concussion-related symptoms - emotional, irritability, sadness, nervousness/anxious were compared for males and females, and a univariate analysis revealed there was a significant difference between sexes for items- emotional, irritability, and sadness but not for nervousness/anxious. Finally, a cross-tabulation of history of concussion (yes/no) for all teams showed that football and men's lacrosse had a considerably higher percentage of team members who reported at least one previous concussion when contrasted to all other teams. Discussion and Conclusions: There were no significant differences for concussion history and the CRl across groups. However, athletes with one or more concussions demonstrated a decreased performance on the Processing Speed Index. Findings highlight the importance of administering neurocognitive assessments to athletes to recognize whether a previous concussion is affecting their cognitive functioning. Athletes reporting one or more concussions were found to report a higher symptom total than those without a concussion history. This suggests the importance of assessing an athlete's experienced physical and emotional symptoms if concussion history is reported to ensure an athlete is completely recovered before returning to play. Although inconsistent with prior literature, female athletes were no more likely to sustain a concussion than male athletes. Differences in finding may be due to a smaller sample size compared to previous studies. There were no sex differences in symptom reporting, but female athletes were found to have a higher symptom severity level than male athletes. Female athletes were also found to endorse a greater number of emotional symptoms than male athletes. As such, assessing an athlete's mental health is important, as it can impact symptom reporting on baseline measures. Finally, there were a higher percentage of concussions in football and men's lacrosse than the other men's and women's teams. As such, given that certain sports and positions increase an athlete's vulnerability to incurring a concussion, it is critical that athletic trainers, athletes, and physicians are aware of inherent dangers within the sport.

Sports-Related Concussions in Youth

Sports-Related Concussions in Youth
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2014-02-04
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309288037

In the past decade, few subjects at the intersection of medicine and sports have generated as much public interest as sports-related concussions - especially among youth. Despite growing awareness of sports-related concussions and campaigns to educate athletes, coaches, physicians, and parents of young athletes about concussion recognition and management, confusion and controversy persist in many areas. Currently, diagnosis is based primarily on the symptoms reported by the individual rather than on objective diagnostic markers, and there is little empirical evidence for the optimal degree and duration of physical rest needed to promote recovery or the best timing and approach for returning to full physical activity. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture reviews the science of sports-related concussions in youth from elementary school through young adulthood, as well as in military personnel and their dependents. This report recommends actions that can be taken by a range of audiences - including research funding agencies, legislatures, state and school superintendents and athletic directors, military organizations, and equipment manufacturers, as well as youth who participate in sports and their parents - to improve what is known about concussions and to reduce their occurrence. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth finds that while some studies provide useful information, much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, manage, and prevent concussions; and the short- and long-term consequences of concussions as well as repetitive head impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms. The culture of sports negatively influences athletes' self-reporting of concussion symptoms and their adherence to return-to-play guidance. Athletes, their teammates, and, in some cases, coaches and parents may not fully appreciate the health threats posed by concussions. Similarly, military recruits are immersed in a culture that includes devotion to duty and service before self, and the critical nature of concussions may often go unheeded. According to Sports-Related Concussions in Youth, if the youth sports community can adopt the belief that concussions are serious injuries and emphasize care for players with concussions until they are fully recovered, then the culture in which these athletes perform and compete will become much safer. Improving understanding of the extent, causes, effects, and prevention of sports-related concussions is vitally important for the health and well-being of youth athletes. The findings and recommendations in this report set a direction for research to reach this goal.

Baseline Concussion Assessment in Varsity Athletes

Baseline Concussion Assessment in Varsity Athletes
Author: Nicole I. Lemke
Publisher:
Total Pages: 91
Release: 2014
Genre: Brain
ISBN:

Objectives: To compare the self-report of symptoms on two commonly used tools: Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2), and Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT). To identify potential variables on ImPACT and a preseason questionnaire that might predict concussion. Results: Eighteen "matched" symptoms were analyzed for 349 athletes. There were significant differences between 10 symptoms. Athletes who scored in the lowest 10th percentile at baseline on ImPACT for the visual memory composite score were 2.5 (95% CI 1.09 - 5.46) times more likely to suffer a concussion. Male athletes with a family history of concussion were 0.4 (95% CI 0.17-0.93) times less likely to suffer a concussion. Conclusions: Athletes' self-report of post-concussion symptoms differed, depending on the type of concussion evaluation tool used. ImPACT may be able to identify athletes at increased risk for concussion. More research is needed on preseason screening questionnaires.

Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury

Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury
Author: Daniel Laskowitz
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2016-04-21
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1498766579

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant source of death and permanent disability, contributing to nearly one-third of all injury related deaths in the United States and exacting a profound personal and economic toll. Despite the increased resources that have recently been brought to bear to improve our understanding of TBI, the developme

Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans

Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2019-05-20
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309486890

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides disability compensation to veterans with a service-connected injury, and to receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a veteran must submit a claim or have a claim submitted on his or her behalf. Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans reviews the process by which the VA assesses impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury for purposes of awarding disability compensation. This report also provides recommendations for legislative or administrative action for improving the adjudication of veterans' claims seeking entitlement to compensation for all impairments arising from a traumatic brain injury.

Brain Neurotrauma

Brain Neurotrauma
Author: Firas H. Kobeissy
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 718
Release: 2015-02-25
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1466565993

With the contribution from more than one hundred CNS neurotrauma experts, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account on the latest developments in the area of neurotrauma including biomarker studies, experimental models, diagnostic methods, and neurotherapeutic intervention strategies in brain injury research. It discusses neurotrauma mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and neurocognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. Also included are medical interventions and recent neurotherapeutics used in the area of brain injury that have been translated to the area of rehabilitation research. In addition, a section is devoted to models of milder CNS injury, including sports injuries.

Sports Neuropsychology

Sports Neuropsychology
Author: Ruben J. Echemend?a
Publisher: Guilford Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2006-02-06
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1572300787

In actual therapy sesions, the video shows Dr. Linehan teaching patients the use of such skills as mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation in order to manage extreme beliefs and behaviors. Viewers observe how Dr. Linehan and a team of therapists work through the range of problems and frustrations that arise in treatment.

Sports Neurology

Sports Neurology
Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-12-19
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780444639547

Sports Neurology is designed to be a comprehensive overview of neurology within the context of sports medicine. This definitive text addresses the history of sports neurology, including its unique role within sports medicine, and provides a detailed assessment of central and peripheral nervous system injuries and illnesses in athletes. Sports Neurology is a critical companion for all sports medicine clinicians and for neurologists who manage athletes.

Concussion and Traumatic Encephalopathy

Concussion and Traumatic Encephalopathy
Author: Jeff Victoroff
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 895
Release: 2019-02-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1107073952

Readers will discover how very recent scientific advances have overthrown a century of dogma about concussive brain injury.

Concussion

Concussion
Author: Anthony P. Kontos
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9781433828232

This book presents a comprehensive, team-based model for assessment and treatment of concussion.