The effects of multi-directional, high intensity exercise on the vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS) assessment in recreational athletes.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the effects of multi-directional, high intensity exercise on VOMS symptom scores in male and female recreational, college-aged athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Athletic Therapy facility. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 29 (15 females, 14 males; 21.48 ± 1.40 years old) healthy recreational athletes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VOMS symptom scores pre, immediately post-, and 10 min post a multidirectional, high intensity intermittent exercise protocol (HIIP). Friedman tests and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests identified significant differences at the time points. A Mann-Whitney U Test investigated the effect of sex. RESULTS: The majority of component and overall VOMS symptom scores increased post-HIIP (p < 0.001-0.007, effect sizes 0.39-0.50) and 10 min post-HIIP (p = 0.003-0.015, effect sizes 0.32-0.39). Near point convergence distance increased immediately post-HIIP (p < 0.001, effect size 0.52). Females had higher smooth pursuits (z = -2.340, p = 0.019, r = 0.31), vertical vestibular ocular reflex (z = -2.81, p = 0.04, r = 0.39) visual motion sensitivity (z = -2.312, p = 0.021 r = 0.30) and overall VOMS symptom scores (z = -2.84, p = 0.04, r = 0.27) 10 min post-HIIP. CONCLUSIONS: Multidirectional, high intensity exercise can induce concussive-like changes in VOMS symptom scores in healthy, recreational athletes, particularly in females. These results may assist in SRC assessment and management of athletes involved in multidirectional, high intensity sports.

Network Analysis of Sport-Related Concussion Research During the Past Decade (2010-2019).

CONTEXT: Research into sport-related concussion (SRC) has grown substantially over the past decade, yet no authors to date have synthesized developments over this critical time period. OBJECTIVE: To apply a network-analysis approach in evaluating trends in the SRC literature using a comprehensive search of original, peer-reviewed research articles involving human participants published between January 1, 2010, and December 15, 2019. DESIGN: Narrative review. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Bibliometric maps were derived from a comprehensive search of all published, peer-reviewed SRC articles in the Web of Science database. A clustering algorithm was used to evaluate associations among journals, organizations or institutions, authors, and key words. The online search yielded 6130 articles, 528 journals, 7598 authors, 1966 organizations, and 3293 key words. RESULTS: The analysis supported 5 thematic clusters of journals: (1) biomechanics/sports medicine (n = 15), (2) pediatrics/rehabilitation (n = 15), (3) neurotrauma/neurology/neurosurgery (n = 11), (4) general sports medicine (n = 11), and (5) neuropsychology (n = 7). The analysis identified 4 organizational clusters of hub institutions: (1) University of North Carolina (n = 19), (2) University of Toronto (n = 19), (3) University of Michigan (n = 11), and (4) University of Pittsburgh (n = 10). Network analysis revealed 8 clusters for SRC key words, each with a central topic area: (1) epidemiology (n = 14), (2) rehabilitation (n = 12), (3) biomechanics (n = 11), (4) imaging (n = 10), (5) assessment (n = 9), (6) mental health/chronic traumatic encephalopathy (n = 9), (7) neurocognition (n = 8), and (8) symptoms/impairments (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that during the past decade SRC research has (1) been published primarily in sports medicine, pediatric, and neuro-focused journals, (2) involved a select group of researchers from several key institutions, and (3) concentrated on new topical areas, including treatment or rehabilitation and mental health.

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

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between estimated age at first exposure (eAFE) to American football and clinical measures throughout recovery following concussion. METHODS: Participants 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. RESULTS: In unadjusted regression models, younger eAFE was associated with lower (worse) ImPACT Visual Motor Speed (R 2 = 0.031, p = 0.012) at 24-48 hours following injury and lower (better) BSI-18 Somatization subscores (R 2 = 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. CONCLUSION: Earlier 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.

The role of concussion history and gender in recovery from soccer-related concussion.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate differences in recovery in male and female soccer athletes. HYPOTHESES: Soccer players with a history of concussion will perform worse on neurocognitive testing than players without a history of concussion. Furthermore, female athletes will demonstrate poorer performance on neurocognitive testing than male athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (prognosis): Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Computer-based neuropsychological testing using reaction time, memory, and visual motor-speed composite scores of the ImPACT test battery was performed postconcussion in soccer players ranging in age from 8 to 24 years (N = 234; 141 females, 93 males). A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine group differences in neurocognitive performance between male and female athletes with and without a history of concussion. RESULTS: Soccer players with a history of at least 1 previous concussion performed significantly worse on ImPACT than those who had not sustained a prior concussion (F = 2.92, P =.03). In addition, female soccer players performed worse on neurocognitive testing (F = 2.72, P =.05) and also reported more symptoms (F = 20.1, P =.00001) than male soccer players. There was no significant difference in body mass index between male and female players (F =.04, P =.85). CONCLUSION: A history of concussion and gender may account for significant differences in postconcussive neurocognitive test scores in soccer players and may play a role in determining recovery. These differences do not appear to reflect differences in mass between genders and may be related to other gender-specific factors that deserve further study.