scholarly journals Estimated age of first exposure to American football and outcome from concussion

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (21) ◽  
pp. e2935-e2944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn B. Caccese ◽  
Zac Houck ◽  
Thomas W. Kaminski ◽  
James R. Clugston ◽  
Grant L. Iverson ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo examine the association between estimated age at first exposure (eAFE) to American football and clinical measures throughout recovery following concussion.MethodsParticipants were recruited across 30 colleges and universities as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)–Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research and Education Consortium. There were 294 NCAA American football players (age 19 ± 1 years) evaluated 24–48 hours following concussion with valid baseline data and 327 (age 19 ± 1 years) evaluated at the time they were asymptomatic with valid baseline data. Participants sustained a medically diagnosed concussion between baseline testing and postconcussion assessments. Outcome measures included the number of days until asymptomatic, Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) composite scores, Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) total score, and Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18) subscores. The eAFE was defined as participant's age at the time of assessment minus self-reported number of years playing football.ResultsIn unadjusted regression models, younger eAFE was associated with lower (worse) ImPACT Visual Motor Speed (R2 = 0.031, p = 0.012) at 24–48 hours following injury and lower (better) BSI-18 Somatization subscores (R2 = 0.014, p = 0.038) when the athletes were asymptomatic. The effect sizes were very small. The eAFE was not associated with the number of days until asymptomatic, other ImPACT composite scores, BESS total score, or other BSI-18 subscores.ConclusionEarlier eAFE to American football was not associated with longer symptom recovery, worse balance, worse cognitive performance, or greater psychological distress following concussion. In these NCAA football players, longer duration of exposure to football during childhood and adolescence appears to be unrelated to clinical recovery following concussion.

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (14 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S6.3-S7
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Caccese ◽  
Zac Houck ◽  
Thomas Kaminski ◽  
James Clugston ◽  
Grant Iverson ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo examine the association between estimated age of first exposure (eAFE) to American football and clinical measures throughout recovery following concussion.BackgroundIn collegiate football players, we reported no association between eAFE and baseline neurocognitive function. It is possible that neurocognitive deficits from earlier eAFE to American football, if present, are sufficiently compensated for in otherwise healthy individuals, but when faced with concussion, earlier eAFE may associate with longer symptom recovery, worse cognitive performance, or greater psychological distress.Design/MethodsParticipants were recruited as part of the NCAA–DoD Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium. There were 340 NCAA football players (age = 18.9 ± 1.4 years) who were evaluated 24–48 hours following concussion and had valid baseline data and 360 (age = 19.0 ± 1.3 years) who were evaluated at the time they were asymptomatic and had valid baseline data. Participants sustained a medically-diagnosed concussion between baseline testing and post-concussion assessments. Outcome measures included the number of days until asymptomatic, Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) composite scores, Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18) sub-scores, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. The eAFE was defined as the participant’s age at the time of assessment minus the self-reported number of years playing football.ResultsResults of generalized linear modeling suggested that younger eAFE was only associated with lower (better) BSI-18 Somatization (estimate = 0.046, p = 0.046, CI = 0.001–0.091) and BSI-18 Anxiety sub-scores (estimate = 0.053, p = 0.039, CI = 0.003–0.104) at 24–48 hours. The eAFE was not associated with days until asymptomatic, ImPACT composite scores, HADS scores, or other BSI-18 sub-scores.ConclusionsEarlier eAFE to football was not associated with longer symptom recovery, worse cognitive performance, or greater psychological distress following concussion. Longer duration of exposure to football during childhood and adolescence appears to be unrelated to clinical recovery following concussion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 1247-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Clugston ◽  
Zachary M. Houck ◽  
Breton M. Asken ◽  
Jonathan K. Boone ◽  
Anthony P. Kontos ◽  
...  

Context Comprehensive assessments are recommended to evaluate sport-related concussion (SRC). The degree to which the King-Devick (KD) test adds novel information to an SRC evaluation is unknown. Objective To describe relationships at baseline among the KD and other SRC assessments and explore whether the KD provides unique information to a multimodal baseline concussion assessment. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Five National Collegiate Athletic Association institutions participating in the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium. Patients or Other Participants National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (N = 2258, age = 20 ± 1.5 years, 53.0% male, 68.9% white) in 11 men's and 13 women's sports. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed baseline assessments on the KD and (1) the Symptom Inventory of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool–3rd edition, (2) the Brief Symptom Inventory-18, (3) the Balance Error Scoring System, (4) the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), (5) the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test battery, and (6) the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening tool during their first year in CARE. Correlation coefficients between the KD and the 6 other concussion assessments in isolation were determined. Assessments with ρ magnitude >0.1 were included in a multivariate linear regression analysis to evaluate their relative association with the KD. Results Scores for SAC concentration, ImPACT visual motor speed, and ImPACT reaction time were correlated with the KD (ρ = −0.216, −0.276, and 0.164, respectively) and were thus included in the regression model, which explained 16.8% of the variance in baseline KD time (P < .001, Cohen f2 = 0.20). Better SAC concentration score (β = −.174, P < .001), ImPACT visual motor speed (β = −.205, P < .001), and ImPACT reaction time (β = .056, P = .020) were associated with faster baseline KD performance, but the effect sizes were small. Conclusions Better performance on cognitive measures involving concentration, visual motor speed, and reaction time was weakly associated with better baseline KD performance. Symptoms, psychological distress, balance, and vestibular-oculomotor provocation were unrelated to KD performance at baseline. The findings indicate limited overlap at baseline among the CARE SRC assessments and the KD.


2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 593-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl R. Cooper ◽  
Michael S. Ferrara ◽  
Douglas J. Casa ◽  
John W. Powell ◽  
Steven P. Broglio ◽  
...  

Context: Knowledge about the specific environmental and practice risks to participants in American intercollegiate football during preseason practices is limited. Identifying risks may mitigate occurrences of exertional heat illness (EHI). Objective: To evaluate the associations among preseason practice day, session number, and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and the incidence of EHI. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Sixty colleges and universities representing 5 geographic regions of the United States. Patients or Other Participants: National Collegiate Athletic Association football players. Main Outcome Measure(s): Data related to preseason practice day, session number, and WBGT. We measured WBGT every 15 minutes during the practice sessions and used the mean WBGT from each session in the analysis. We recorded the incidence of EHIs and calculated the athlete-exposures (AEs). Results: A total of 553 EHI cases and 365 810 AEs were reported for an overall EHI rate of 1.52/1000 AEs (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 1.68). Approximately 74% (n = 407) of the reported EHI cases were exertional heat cramps (incidence rate = 1.14/1000 AEs; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.25), and about 26% (n = 146) were a combination of exertional heat syncope and heat exhaustion (incidence rate = 0.40/1000 AEs; 95% CI = 0.35, 0.48). The highest rate of EHI occurred during the first 14 days of the preseason period, and the greatest risk was during the first 7 days. The risk of EHI increased substantially when the WBGT was 82.0°F (27.8°C) or greater. Conclusions: We found an increased rate of EHI during the first 14 days of practice, especially during the first 7 days. When the WBGT was greater than 82.0°F (27.8°C), the rate of EHI increased. Sports medicine personnel should take all necessary preventive measures to reduce the EHI risk during the first 14 days of practice and when the environmental conditions are greater than 82.0°F (27.8°C) WBGT.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-207
Author(s):  
Scott L. Bruce ◽  
Kyra Dorney

Current literature indicates loss of consciousness occurs in about 10% of concussions. Posturing presentations represent brain injuries and a loss of consciousness. The purpose of this study was to observe video evidence of football-game-related concussions to determine the rate in which a posturing presentation occurs in reported concussion. Over the course of three National Football League and three National Collegiate Athletic Association football seasons, 103 videos of 805 reported concussions met the inclusion criteria; 35 videos demonstrated a posturing presentation, for a rate of 33.98%. Our study indicates that the published statistic regarding loss of consciousness (occurring only about 10% of the time) may be too conservative.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Kraemer ◽  
David P. Looney ◽  
Gerard J. Martin ◽  
Nicholas A. Ratamess ◽  
Jakob L. Vingren ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 851-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley J. Szabo ◽  
Michael L. Alosco ◽  
Andrew Fedor ◽  
John Gunstad

Context: Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized cognitive test battery commonly used for concussion evaluation. An important aspect of these procedures is baseline testing, but researchers have suggested that many users do not use validity indices to ensure adequate effort during testing. No one has examined the prevalence of invalid performance for college football players. Objective: To examine the prevalence of invalid scores on ImPACT testing. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 159 athletes (age = 20.3 ± 1.41 years; range = 17.8–23.7 years) from a Division I collegiate football team participated. Intervention(s): An informational intervention regarding the importance of concussion testing to promote safety was administered before testing for the most recent season. Main Outcome Measure(s): We examined preseason ImPACT testing data across a 3-year period (total assessments = 269). Based on invalid and sandbagging indices denoted by the ImPACT manual, protocols were examined to indicate how many invalid indices each athlete had. Results: A total of 27.9% (n = 75) of assessments were suggestive of invalid scores, with 4.1% (n = 11) suggesting invalid responding only, 17.5% (n = 47) indicating “sandbagging” only, and 6.3% (n = 17) showing both invalid and sandbagging responding. The informational intervention did not reduce the prevalence of invalid responding. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for further information about the ImPACT validity indices and whether they truly reflect poor effort. Future work is needed to identify practices to reliably target and reduce invalid responding.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael McCrea ◽  
Steven Broglio ◽  
Thomas McAllister ◽  
Wenxian Zhou ◽  
Shi Zhao ◽  
...  

ObjectiveWe compared data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Concussion Study (1999–2001) and the NCAA-Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium (2014–2017) to examine how clinical management, return to play (RTP) and risk of repeat concussion in collegiate football players have changed over the past 15 years.MethodsWe analysed data on reported duration of symptoms, symptom-free waiting period (SFWP), RTP and occurrence of within-season repeat concussion in collegiate football players with diagnosed concussion from the NCAA Study (n=184) and CARE (n=701).ResultsCARE athletes had significantly longer symptom duration (CARE median=5.92 days, IQR=3.02–9.98 days; NCAA median=2.00 days, IQR=1.00–4.00 days), SFWP (CARE median=6.00 days, IQR=3.49–9.00 days; NCAA median=0.98 days, IQR=0.00–4.00 days) and RTP (CARE median=12.23 days, IQR=8.04–18.92 days; NCAA median=3.00 days, IQR=1.00–8.00 days) than NCAA Study athletes (all p<0.0001). In CARE, there was only one case of repeat concussion within 10 days of initial injury (3.7% of within-season repeat concussions), whereas 92% of repeat concussions occurred within 10 days in the NCAA Study (p<0.001). The average interval between first and repeat concussion in CARE was 56.41 days, compared with 5.59 days in the NCAA Study (M difference=50.82 days; 95% CI 38.37 to 63.27; p<0.0001).ConclusionOur findings indicate that concussion in collegiate football is managed more conservatively than 15 years ago. These changes in clinical management appear to have reduced the risk of repetitive concussion during the critical period of cerebral vulnerability after sport-related concussion (SRC). These data support international guidelines recommending additional time for brain recovery before athletes RTP after SRC.


Author(s):  
Benjamin L. Brett ◽  
Amy M. Nader ◽  
Zachary Y. Kerr ◽  
Avinash Chandran ◽  
Samuel R. Walton ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: Years of sport participation (YoP) is conventionally used to estimate cumulative repetitive head impacts (RHI) experienced by contact sport athletes. The relationship of this measure to other estimates of head impact exposure and the potential associations of these measures with neurobehavioral functioning are unknown. We investigated the association between YoP and the Head Impact Exposure Estimate (HIEE), and whether associations between the two estimates of exposure and neurobehavioral functioning varied. Methods: Former American football players (N = 58; age = 37.9 ± 1.5 years) completed in-person evaluations approximately 15 years following sport discontinuation. Assessments consisted of neuropsychological assessment and structured interviews of head impact history (i.e., HIEE). General linear models were fit to test the association between YoP and the HIEE, and their associations with neurobehavioral outcomes. Results: YoP was weakly correlated with the HIEE, p = .005, R 2 = .13. Higher YoP was associated with worse performance on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, p = .004, R 2 = .14, and Trail Making Test-B, p = .001, R 2 = .18. The HIEE was associated with worse performance on the Delayed Recall trial of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, p = .020, R 2 = .09, self-reported cognitive difficulties (Neuro-QoL Cognitive Function), p = .011, R 2 = .10, psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18), p = .018, R 2 = .10, and behavioral regulation (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults), p = .017, R 2 = .10. Conclusions: YoP was marginally associated with the HIEE, a comprehensive estimate of head impacts sustained over a career. Associations between each exposure estimate and neurobehavioral functioning outcomes differed. Findings have meaningful implications for efforts to accurately quantify the risk of adverse long-term neurobehavioral outcomes potentially associated with RHI.


2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse A. Steinfeldt ◽  
Courtney Reed ◽  
Clint M. Steinfeldt

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