Parent ratings on the MEMRY questionnaire predict children's academic performance.

Given the high rates of learning challenges in children with medical conditions, efficient and reliable screening methods are crucial. This study examined whether parent report of daily learning and memory predicts academic achievement in youth. Parents of 213 youth (aged 6-18) with varied medical diagnoses completed the Multidimensional Everyday Memory Ratings for Youth (MEMRY), and youth completed subtests from the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) as part of a comprehensive assessment. All scales of the MEMRY (Learning, Daily Memory, Executive/Working Memory) correlated significantly with WIAT-III Spelling, Word Reading, and Numerical Operations, while only the MEMRY Learning subscale correlated significantly with WIAT-III Pseudoword Decoding. Regression analyses indicated that MEMRY Learning significantly predicted WIAT-III Word Reading and Spelling, while both the MEMRY Learning and MEMRY Daily Memory scales significantly predicted WIAT-III Numerical Operations. When Full Scale IQ was entered into the models first, the MEMRY Learning subscale accounted for an additional 4% of variance in WIAT-III Word Reading and 7% of variance in WIAT-III Spelling, but did not account for additional variance in WIAT-III Numerical Operations or Pseudoword Decoding. Analyses in a subset of children with broadly normal intellectual functioning demonstrated very similar results, with even higher variance in academic testing accounted for by the MEMRY. In sum, the MEMRY questionnaire may serve as an efficient screen to identify children at risk for reading, spelling, and math deficits.

Navigating the Systemic Conditions of a Digital Health Ecosystem in Alberta, Canada: Embedded Case Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital health promises numerous value-creating outcomes. These include improved health, reduced costs, and the creation of lucrative markets, which, in turn, provide high-quality employment, productivity growth, and a climate that attracts investment. For this value creation and capture, the activities of a diverse set of stakeholders within a digital health ecosystem require coordination. However, the antecedents of the coordination needed for an effective digital health ecosystem are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the systemic conditions of the digital health ecosystem in Alberta, Canada, as critical antecedents to ecosystem coordination from the perspective of the authors as applicants to an innovative digital health funding program embedded within the larger digital health ecosystem of innovators or entrepreneurs, health system leaders, support partners, and funders. METHODS: We employed a qualitative embedded case study of the systemic conditions within the digital health ecosystem in Alberta, Canada (main case) using semistructured interviews with 36 stakeholders representing innovators or entrepreneurs, health system leaders, support partners, and funders (subcases). The interviews were conducted over a 2-month period between May 26 and July 22, 2021. Data were coded for key themes and synthesized around 5 propositions developed from academic publications and policy reports. RESULTS: The findings indicated varying levels of support for each proposition, with moderate support for accessing real problems, data, training, and space for evaluations. However, the most fundamental gap appears to be in ecosystem navigation, in particular, the absence of intermediaries (eg, individuals, organizations, and technology) to provide guidance on the available support services and dependencies among the various ecosystem actors and programs. CONCLUSIONS: Navigating the systemic conditions of the digital health ecosystem is extremely challenging for entrepreneurs, especially those without prior health care experience, and this remains an issue even for those with such experience. Policy interventions aimed at increasing collaboration among ecosystem support providers, along with tools and incentives to ensure coordination, are essential as the ecosystem and those dependent on it grow.

Perceptions of Symptom Duration are Associated With Emotional Distress and Functioning in Adolescents With Protracted Concussion Recovery.

Adolescents with persisting post-concussive symptoms often report high levels of emotional distress, which can impact their daily functioning. The associations between modifiable factors, such as perceptions of recovery, and emotional distress have not been investigated in this age group. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate perceptions about recovery duration (e.g., "my symptoms will last a long time", "my symptoms will be permanent rather than temporary") and its associations with emotional distress and functioning in children and adolescents with a slower post-concussive recovery. METHODS: Participants (N = 49, 69% girls, 11-17 years old, M = 15.8 years old, SD = 1.8) were recruited from a concussion clinic on average 7.7 months after injury (SD = 2.5). Measures included the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised (perceived duration of symptoms only) to evaluate recovery expectations, the Health and Behavior Inventory (self and parent reports) to evaluate current post-concussive symptoms (cognitive and somatic symptoms), the emotional distress subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-self-report), and the emotional functioning subscale of the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL-self-report). RESULTS: Regression analyses (linear models with all covariates entered at once) suggested that greater expectations for symptom persistence were significantly associated with higher emotional distress on both SDQ and PedsQL subscales, after controlling for post-concussive symptom severity and other confounds. Emotional distress/functioning was not associated with perceptions of symptom duration reported by parents, severity of post-concussive symptoms (self- and parent reports), age, number of concussions, time since injury, or a history of mental health concern or diagnosis (parent-reported). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that pessimistic attitudes for recovery duration may be more strongly associated with emotional distress than current post-concussive symptom severity or a history of mental health concern or diagnosis.

Frontal interhemispheric structural connectivity, attention, and executive function in children with perinatal stroke.

Perinatal stroke affects ∼1 in 1000 births and concomitant cognitive impairments are common but poorly understood. Rates of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are increased 5-10× and executive dysfunction can be disabling. We used diffusion imaging to investigate whether stroke-related differences in frontal white matter (WM) relate to cognitive impairments. Anterior forceps were isolated using tractography and sampled along the tract. Resulting metrics quantified frontal WM microstructure. Associations between WM metrics and parent ratings of ADHD symptoms (ADHD-5 rating scale) and executive functioning (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)) were explored. Eighty-three children were recruited (arterial ischemic stroke [AIS] n = 26; periventricular venous infarction [PVI] n = 26; controls n = 31). WM metrics were altered for stroke groups compared to controls. Along-tract analyses showed differences in WM metrics in areas approximating the lesion as well as more remote differences at midline and in the nonlesioned hemisphere. WM metrics correlated with parental ratings of ADHD and executive function such that higher diffusivity values were associated with poorer function. These findings suggest that underlying microstructure of frontal white matter quantified via tractography may provide a relevant biomarker associated with cognition and behavior in children with perinatal stroke.

Family Burden in Adolescents With Refractory Postconcussion Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: A significant minority of adolescents will have persistent postconcussion symptoms after an injury, potentially having a negative impact on family functioning. However, the reasons for a family's negative impact are not clearly understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether preinjury/demographic factors, injury characteristics, and/or worse postinjury symptoms are associated with higher levels of family stress in youth with refractory postconcussion symptoms. SETTING: Pediatric refractory concussion clinic in a tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 121 adolescents (13-18 years old) who were 1 to 12 months postconcussion. MEASURES: Primary outcome was the mean stress rating on the Family Burden of Injury Interview (FBII), a 27-item questionnaire rating the impact on a family as a result of an injury. Preinjury/demographic and injury details were collected. Youth and their parents also completed measures of postconcussion symptoms, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 16.0 years (SD = 1.3), of which, 65% identified as female, and were on an average 5.2 months (SD = 2.4) postconcussion. FBII ratings were not significantly correlated with demographics, preinjury functioning, injury severity, duration of persistent postconcussion problems (ie, time since injury), or self-reported postconcussion symptoms. Greater family burden (higher FBII ratings) significantly correlated with worse parent-reported postconcussion symptoms, worse psychological functioning (self-reported depression, parent-reported anxiety, and depression), and worse behavioral functioning (parent-reported conduct problems and peer problems). A multiple linear regression model revealed that parent-perceived postconcussion cognitive symptoms (ß = .292, t = 2.56, P = .012) and parent-perceived peer problems (ß = .263, t = 2.59, P = .011) were significantly associated with family burden ( F8,105 = 6.53; P < .001; R2 = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Families of youth with refractory postconcussion symptoms can experience a negative impact. The severity of reported family burden in those with slow recovery from concussion was significantly associated with parents' perception of their child's cognitive symptoms and peer problems. These results could provide support for family-based interventions in this population.

Learning and memory profiles in youth with perinatal stroke: a study of the Child and Adolescent Memory Profile (ChAMP).

There is limited understanding of the effect of perinatal stroke on child and adolescent learning and memory abilities. This study sought to evaluate the clinical utility of the Child and Adolescent Memory Profile (ChAMP) in quantifying memory performance in youth with perinatal stroke. Children and adolescents aged 6-16 years old with a history of perinatal stroke (PS; n = 41) completed two subtests from the ChAMP (Lists and Objects). Age, sex, and ethnicity-matched healthy control (HC) data were obtained from the test publisher's standardization data set. Participants with a history of PS performed significantly worse (p < .05) with medium effect size (ƞp2 ≥ .06) than HC on the ChAMP Screening Index and on all ChAMP Lists and Objects scaled scores. Classification accuracy for the ChAMP scores ranged from 57% to 68% with the area under the curve ranging from .62-.75. No significant group differences on ChAMP performance (p > .05) were found for stroke side (left versus right-sided) or for seizure history (present versus absent). This study supports the utility of the ChAMP in perinatal stroke patients by demonstrating significantly worse performance in verbal and visual memory than HC. Classification accuracy is limited, but supportive for the Screening Index and Objects Delayed scores. The ChAMP may be a useful tool for evaluating cognition in this population when taken alongside the context of other tests, background history, and clinical observations.

Susceptibility-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Microbleeds in Pediatric Concussion.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term consequences of pediatric concussion on brain structure are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the presence and clinical significance of cerebral microbleeds several years after pediatric concussion. METHODS: Children and adolescents 8-19 years of age with either a history of concussion (n = 35), or orthopedic injury (n = 20) participated. Mean time since injury for the sample was 30.4 months (SD = 19.6). Participants underwent susceptibility-weighted imaging, rated their depression and postconcussion symptoms, and completed cognitive testing. Parents of participants also completed symptom ratings for their child. Hypointensities in susceptibility-weighted images indicative of cerebral microbleeds were calculated as a measure of hypointensity burden. RESULTS: Hypointensity burden did not differ significantly between participants with a history of concussion and those with a history of orthopedic injury. Depression ratings (self and parent report), postconcussion symptom ratings (self and parent report), and cognitive performance did not significantly correlate with hypointensity burden in the concussion group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that at approximately 2.5 years postinjury, children and adolescents with prior concussion do not have a greater amount of cerebral microbleeds compared to those with orthopedic injury. Future research should use longitudinal study designs and investigate children with persistent postconcussive symptoms to gain better insight into the long-term effects of concussion on cerebral microbleeds.

Fear avoidance behavior in youth with poor recovery from concussion: measurement properties and correlates of a new scale.

The objective of the current study was to develop a measure of fear avoidance behavior after concussion for youth and parent respondents and examine its basic psychometric properties and correlates. Children (N = 51) who were seen in a hospital concussion clinic after sustaining a concussion (M = 7.6 months, SD = 7.01) and their primary caregiver (N = 51)completed self- and informant-report measures of fear avoidance (Pediatric Fear Avoidance Behavior after Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire; PFAB-TBI), post-concussion symptoms (Health Behavior Inventory), emotional distress (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0). The self- and informant-report PFAB-TBI scores were moderately correlated (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). Neither measure demonstrated floor or ceiling effects. Both had strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.87 and 0.89, respectively). The PFAB-TBI self-report was positively correlated with somatic symptoms (r = 0.37), emotional distress (r = 0.39), and negatively associated with quality of life (r = -0.57). The PFAB-TBI informant-report was positively associated with informant reported somatic symptoms (r = 0.52) and emotional distress (r = .50) Overall, the PFAB-TBI has desirable basic measurement properties and expected correlations with clinical outcomes. This measure can potentially help clinicians and researchers better understand the impacts of fear avoidance behavior after pediatric concussion.

Cortical Volume and Thickness in Youth Several Years After Concussion.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term effects of pediatric concussion on brain morphometry remain poorly delineated. This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate cortical volume and thickness in youth several years after concussion. METHODS: Participants aged 8-19 years old with a history of concussion (n = 37) or orthopedic injury (n = 20) underwent MRI, rated their postconcussion symptoms, and completed cognitive testing on average 2.6 years (SD = 1.6) after injury. FreeSurfer was used to obtain cortical volume and thickness measurements as well as determine any significant correlations between brain morphometry, postconcussion symptoms (parent and self-report), and cognitive functioning. RESULTS: No significant group differences were found for either cortical volume or thickness. Youth with a history of concussion had higher postconcussion symptom scores (both parent and self-report Postconcussion Symptom Inventory) than the orthopedic injury group, but symptom ratings did not significantly correlate with cortical volume or thickness. Across both groups, faster reaction time on a computerized neurocognitive test battery (CNS Vital Signs) was associated with a thinner cortex in the left pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus and the left caudal anterior cingulate. Better verbal memory was associated with a thinner cortex in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: Findings do not support differences in cortical volume or thickness approximately 2.5 years postconcussion in youth, suggesting either long-term cortical recovery or no cortical differences as a result of injury. Further research using a longitudinal study design and larger samples is needed.

American society of biomechanics journal of biomechanics award 2019: Circumstances of head impacts in men's university ice hockey.

This observational study examined the circumstances of head impacts in men's university ice hockey. Video footage was collected of 449 head impacts experienced by 37 players over 33 games. Videos were analyzed using a reliable, structured questionnaire to classify: playing zone, location on ice, puck possession, direction of gaze, object striking the head, location of head impact, trajectory of colliding players, and penalties. Generalized Linear Models were used to compare response categories for the proportion of players experiencing at least one head impact, and the number of head impacts per player. The majority of events resulting in head impact involved contact with another player (93%). Head impacts occurred most often to players who did not have puck possession, who were checked along the boards in their offensive zone. Players were just as likely to experience head impact with an environmental object, as with an opposing player's body part. Glass-to-head impacts represented 30% of cases, four times as common as board-to-head impacts. Hand-to-head impacts accounted for 23% of cases, twice as common as shoulder- or elbow-to-head impacts. In 27% of events, there were two or more successive impacts to the head (e.g., contact with shoulder and then boards). Only 16% of head impacts which involved contact with another player resulted in infractions. Our results support the need for additional research on the benefits of stricter rule enforcement, and modifications to the stiffness of glass and padding of gloves, for reducing the frequency and severity of head impacts in ice hockey.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging study of working memory several years after pediatric concussion.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: The neurophysiological effects of pediatric concussion several years after injury remain inadequately characterized. The objective of this study was to determine if a history of concussion was associated with BOLD response differences during an n-back working memory task in youth. RESEARCH DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Participants include 52 children and adolescents (M = 15.1 years, 95%CI = 14.4-15.8, range = 9-19) with past concussion (n = 33) or orthopedic injury (OI; n = 19). Mean time since injury was 2.5 years (95%CI = 2.0-3.0). Measures included postconcussion symptom ratings, neuropsychological testing, and blood-oxygen-dependent-level (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during an n-back working memory task. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Groups did not differ on accuracy or speed during the three n-back conditions. They also did not differ in BOLD signal change for the 1- vs. 0-back or 2- vs. 0-back contrasts (controlling for task performance). CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support group differences in BOLD response during an n-back working memory task in youth who are on average 2.5 years post-concussion. The findings are encouraging from the perspective of understanding recovery after pediatric concussion.

Microstructure of the Corpus Callosum Long after Pediatric Concussion.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term effects of pediatric concussion on white matter microstructure are poorly understood. This study investigated long-term changes in white matter diffusion properties of the corpus callosum in youth several years after concussion. METHODS: Participants were 8-19 years old with a history of concussion (n = 36) or orthopedic injury (OI) (n = 21). Mean time since injury for the sample was 2.6 years (SD = 1.6). Participants underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, completed cognitive testing, and rated their post-concussion symptoms. Measures of diffusivity (fractional anisotropy, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity) were extracted from white matter tracts in the genu, body, and splenium regions of the corpus callosum. The genu and splenium tracts were further subdivided into 21 equally spaced regions along the tract and diffusion values were extracted from each of these smaller regions. RESULTS: White matter tracts in the genu, body, and splenium did not differ in diffusivity properties between youth with a history of concussion and those with a history of OI. No significant group differences were found in subdivisions of the genu and splenium after correcting for multiple comparisons. Diffusion metrics did not significantly correlate with symptom reports or cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that at approximately 2.5 years post-injury, youth with prior concussion do not have differences in their corpus callosum microstructure compared to youth with OI. Although these results are promising from the perspective of long-term recovery, further research utilizing longitudinal study designs is needed to confirm the long-term effects of pediatric concussion on white matter microstructure.

N-Acetyl-Aspartate in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Long After Concussion in Youth.

OBJECTIVE: Despite increasing interest in the neurobiological effects of concussion in youth, a paucity of information is available regarding outcomes long after injury. The objective of this study was to determine the association between a history of concussion and the putative neuronal marker N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in youth. SETTING: Outpatient clinic in a children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Youth with concussion (N = 35, mean = 2.63, SD = 1.07 years postinjury) and youth with a nonconcussive orthopedic injury (N = 17) participated. DESIGN: A cross-sectional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) study. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was NAA concentration in the right and left DLPFCs. RESULTS: We observed lower levels of NAA in the right DLPFC in youth with past concussion (F = 3.31, df = 4,51, P = .018) than in orthopedic controls but not in the left DLPFC (F = 2.04, df = 4,51, P = .105). The effect of lower NAA concentrations in the right DLPFC was primarily driven by youth with a single prior concussion versus those with multiple concussions. NAA in the left DLPFC, but not in right DLPFC, was associated with worse emotional symptoms in youth with concussion. CONCLUSION: The presence of lower levels of DLPFC NAA suggests potential association of concussion in youth, although further investigation is needed, given that the result is driven by those with a single (and not multiple) concussion. Exploration of applying MRS in other brain regions is also warranted.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Adolescents With Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective insomnia treatment but has yet to be applied to adolescents with sleep disruption following concussion. This pilot study evaluated CBT-I to improve insomnia in adolescents with protracted concussion recovery. SETTING: Tertiary pediatric hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 24) were 12 to 18 years old (M = 15.0, SD = 1.4), 15.1 weeks (SD = 9.2) postinjury, and presenting with sleep disruption and persistent postconcussion symptoms. DESIGN: A single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) design comparing 6 weeks of CBT-I and a treatment-as-usual control group. Outcomes were measured before treatment, at treatment completion, and 4 weeks after completion. MAIN MEASURES: Primary outcome was Insomnia Severity Index. Secondary outcomes included Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale, 7-night sleep diary, PROMIS Depression, PROMIS Anxiety, and Health and Behavior Inventory. RESULTS: Adolescents who received CBT-I demonstrated large and clinically significant improvements in insomnia ratings at posttreatment that were maintained at follow-up. They also reported improved sleep quality, fewer dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, better sleep efficiency, shorter sleep-onset latency, and longer sleep time compared with those with treatment as usual. There was also a modest reduction in postconcussion symptoms. CONCLUSION: In this pilot RCT, 6 weeks of CBT-I produced significant improvement in sleep in adolescents with persistent postconcussion symptoms. A larger trial is warranted.

Insomnia in Adolescents with Slow Recovery from Concussion.

Sleep disruption can occur after brain injury; however, insomnia prevalence and severity in adolescents with persistent post-concussion symptoms have not been investigated. This study examined: 1) some of the psychometric properties of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), 2) the prevalence and severity of insomnia symptoms, and 3) associations between insomnia symptoms and clinical measures of post-concussion symptoms, mental health symptoms, and cognitive tests in adolescents with slow recovery from concussion. Participants (N = 121) were adolescents 13-18 years of age (mean = 16.2; standard deviation [SD] = 1.2) and, on average, of 6.4 months (SD = 3.8) post-concussion. This sample rated insomnia (ISI), post-concussion symptoms, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and cognitive complaints, as well as completed cognitive testing. The ISI demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha = 0.87) and a single factor structure. The majority of the sample endorsed at least some insomnia, with 62% being over the clinical cutoff for experiencing clinically significant symptoms of insomnia. Higher insomnia severity was associated with a greater number of previous concussions, worse post-concussion symptoms, more anxiety, and higher depression. Insomnia was significantly associated with more cognitive complaints and higher rates of failure on performance validity tests, but not with actual objectively measured cognitive abilities. Insomnia is common in adolescents with slow recovery from concussion and is associated with worse post-concussion symptoms, anxiety, depression, cognitive complaints, and performance validity concerns. Investigating evidence-based treatments for insomnia should be a priority in this population.

Cerebral blood flow in children and adolescents several years after concussion.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term effects of concussion in youth remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the association between history of concussion and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in youth. METHODS: A total of 53 children and adolescents with a history of concussion (n = 37) or orthopaedic injury (OI; n = 16) were considered. Measures included pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging to quantify CBF, post-concussion symptoms, psychological symptoms, and cognitive testing. RESULTS: Participants (mean age: 14.4 years, 95% CI = 13.8-15.4, range = 8-19) were on average 2.7 years (95% CI = 2.2-3.1) post-injury. Youth with a history of concussion had higher parent-reported physical, cognitive, anxiety, and depression symptoms than children with OI, but the groups did not differ on self-reported symptoms (post-concussive or psychological) or cognitive testing. Global CBF did not differ between groups. Regional CBF analyses suggested that youth with a history of concussion had hypoperfusion in posterior and inferior regions and hyperperfusion in anterior/frontal/temporal regions as compared to those with OI. However, neither global nor regional CBF were significantly associated with demographics, pre-injury functioning, number of concussions, time since injury, post-concussive symptoms, psychological symptoms, or cognitive abilities. CONCLUSIONS: Youth with a history of concussion demonstrate differences in regional CBF (not global CBF), but without clear clinical expression.

The Effect of Shoulder Pad Design on Head Impact Severity during Checking.

INTRODUCTION: Shoulder-to-head contact is the most common cause of concussions in ice hockey, accounting for 42% of cases in the National Hockey League. The goal of this project was to determine how shoulder pad stiffness, modified by adding foam padding over the shoulder cap of existing shoulder pads, affected head impact severity when participants delivered checks to an instrumented dummy. METHODS: Fifteen participants administered "the hardest shoulder checks they were comfortable delivering" to the head of a dummy equipped with triaxial accelerometers and gyros mounted in its helmet. Trials were conducted with participants wearing two common types of shoulder pads, with and without a 2-cm-thick layer of polyurethane foam over the shoulder pad cap. RESULTS: When participants delivered checks with foam-modified pads versus unmodified pads, there was a decrease of 25.0% in the average peak linear head acceleration (28.73g vs 38.31g, mean difference = 9.58g, 95% confidence interval = 6.35-12.81, P < 0.0001) and a decrease of 12.4% in the average value of peak rotational head velocity (838.0°·s vs 956.7°·s, mean difference = 118.65°·s, 95% confidence interval = 55.37-181.94, P = 0.001). The protective benefit of the foam layer did not depend on the type of shoulder pad or the checking scenario. CONCLUSION: The integration of foam padding on top of the plastic caps of shoulder pads reduced impact severity to the head and warrants further examination as a method for contributing to the prevention of brain injuries in ice hockey.