Gender Differences in Concussion Diagnostic Imaging Over Time Among US High School Athletes

Elite athletes and nonathletes (N = 1,268) attending the same selective sport high school (4 high school age cohorts, grades 7–10, mean ages varying from 10.9 to 14.1) completed the same physical self-concept instrument 4 times over a 2-year period (multiple waves). We introduce a latent cohort-sequence analysis that provides a stronger basis for assessing developmental stability/change than either cross-sectional (multicohort, single occasion) or longitudinal (single-cohort, multiple occasion) designs, allowing us to evaluate latent means across 10 waves spanning a 5-year period (grades 7–11), although each participant contributed data for only 4 waves, spanning 2 of the 5 years. Consistent with the frame-of-reference effects embodied in the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), physical self-concepts at the start of high school were much higher for elite athletes than for nonathlete classmates, but the differences declined over time so that by the end of high school there were no differences in the 2 groups. Gender differences in favor of males had a negative linear and quadratic trajectory over time, but the consistently smaller gender differences for athletes than for nonathletes did not vary with time.

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Gender differences in concussion-related knowledge, attitudes and reporting-behaviours among high school student-athletes

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2018-0031 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lindsay Sullivan ◽

Michal Molcho

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Female Athletes ◽

High School Athletes ◽

Male And Female ◽

Concussion Management ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Education And Awareness ◽

Short And Long Term

Abstract Background/aim Sport-related concussion is associated with various short- and long-term health consequences, especially among adolescent athletes. Yet, many concussions go unreported and/or unrecognised. The purpose of this study was to assess high school athletes’ concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, intentions and reporting behaviours, and to explore whether gender differences are evident. Methods A total of 435 high school athletes (52.2% female; mean age, 14.55 ± 1.67 years) participated in the survey. Questions assessed athletes’ knowledge, attitudes, reporting intention and reporting behaviours, in respect to sports-related concussion. Comparisons between male and female athletes were explored using Mann-Whitney tests and chi-squared (χ2) tests as appropriate. Results We found that 60% of the participants stated that they have played in practice or during a game (this season) with concussion symptoms. Males expressed more negative outcomes of concussion reporting and lower concussion reporting intention, compared to females. We found no significant gender differences in concussion-reporting behaviours. Conclusion Our findings suggest that knowledge, favourable attitudes towards reporting and reporting intention alone are not enough to create an environment that encourages the disclosure of concussion symptoms. Health promotion communication campaigns, coupled with concussion education and awareness programmes, should be utilised to further highlight the importance of timely concussion management, and to create a culture in which the reporting of concussion is considered normative.

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Injury Recurrence Among High School Athletes in the United States: A Decade of Patterns and Trends, 2005-2006 Through 2015-2016

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967117745788 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 232596711774578 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

K. Linnea Welton ◽

Matthew J. Kraeutler ◽

Lauren A. Pierpoint ◽

Justin H. Bartley ◽

Eric C. McCarty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Injury Rate ◽

Sports Injury ◽

Body Part ◽

The United States ◽

High School Athletes ◽

Injury Rates ◽

School Sports ◽

Recurrent Injuries ◽

Over Time

Background: As participation in high school athletics increases, so does the number of adolescents experiencing sports-related injury. Understanding injury patterns is an important component to developing and evaluating prevention and rehabilitation programs. Purpose: To analyze recurrent injury rates and patterns among high school athletes, to compare recurrent injuries with new injuries, and to evaluate injury trends over time. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: High school sports injury data on 24 sports were collected from 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 via the High School RIO (Reporting Information Online) surveillance system. Injury rates were calculated as number of injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures (AEs). Injury rate ratios and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were calculated to compare differences among subgroups. Results: Overall, 78,005 injuries were sustained during 40,195,806 AEs, for an injury rate of 19.41 per 10,000 AEs. Of these, 69,821 (89.5%) were new injuries, and 8184 (10.5%) were recurrent. The ankle was the most commonly injured body part among recurrent injuries, while the head/face was the most common body part that sustained new injuries. Ligament sprains were more often recurrent, while concussions were more commonly diagnosed as new, although concussions represented 16.7% of recurrent injuries. Trends for recurrent injuries over time were relatively stable. The proportion of athletes who had >3 weeks of time loss or medical disqualification (15.8% vs 13.3%; IPR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.26) or who voluntarily withdrew from sport (2.5% vs 1.1%; IPR, 2.33; 95% CI, 2.00-2.73) was significantly greater for recurrent injuries than new injuries. Furthermore, a greater proportion of recurrent injuries resulted in surgery (8.1% vs 6.0%; IPR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.24-1.46). Conclusion: Although only 10.5% of all injuries were recurrent, they more frequently resulted in missing >3 weeks of playing time and were more often managed surgically when compared with new injuries. The rate of recurrent injuries has not increased over the past decade.

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Gender differences in quantitative EEG volumetric analysis shortly after sport concussion injury in high school athletes

Neurology ◽

10.1212/01.wnl.0000550659.50158.0e ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 91 (23 Supplement 1) ◽

pp. S8.2-S8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harry G. Kerasidis ◽

P. David Ims ◽

Stacie Rector

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Gamma Activity ◽

Beta Activity ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

High School Athletes ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Sport Concussion

BackgroundStudies have identified gender differences in the incidence, severity and recovery time from sport concussion injury, all increased in females. The objective of this investigation is to explore gender differences in volumetric QEEG analysis after sport concussion injury in high school athletes.MethodsStandard electroencephalograms (EEGs) were analyzed in 40 high school athletes (20 males) shortly after concussion injury using sLORETA imaging compared to a normative database (NYU/BrainDx). Peak Z-score variation (PZV), and %volume of grey matter activity that fell outside Z = −2.5 to 2.5 (PIGMV for increased activity, PRGMV for reduced) were calculated for each of 5 EEG frequency bands.ResultsPZV was increased in the Delta/Theta/Alpha, in both genders with no statistical gender difference (M/F averages: 3.82/3.16, 2.73/2.72, 2.52/2.72, respectively, p ≥ 0.05), Beta in females not males, Beta-Gamma in males and females which was significantly increased in females (M/F averages: 1.75/2.88, 3.64/5.02 respectively, p < 0.01). PZV was decreased in Beta in males not females (M/F averages: −2.83/−2.18, p = 0.05) there was a significant difference in reduced beta-gamma activity (M/F averages: −1.11/−0.49, p = 0.01). Greater than 1% grey matter volume of PIGMV was seen in Delta/Theta/Alpha/Beta activity with no gender difference (M/F averages: 20.94/11.71, 5.87/7.38, 5.62/7.93, 4.09/9.22 p ≥ 0.05). There was a significant difference in PIGMV in Beta-Gamma (M/F averages: 31.94/60.04, p = 0.01). Greater than 1% PRGMV in Alpha/Beta in both genders and Theta activity in females not males.ConclusionsSlower frequency (Delta, Theta, and Alpha) abnormal variations show no statistical gender differences. In the faster frequency bands (Beta and Beta-Gamma), females demonstrate a larger variation from the norm and larger percent grey matter volume affected by increased Beta and Beta-Gamma activity. Males, not females exhibit a deficiency in Beta activity after concussion. Further research to correlate these electrophysiologic changes with symptom severity and recovery time is needed.

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