Return to Play in Collision Sport After Hemorrhages of a Cerebral Cavernoma.

ABSTRACT: Discovering a cerebral vascular malformation in an athlete should lead to evaluating hemorrhagic risk, notably in contact sports. Cavernous angioma is one of the most frequent pathologies in this context. It can be identified by a hemorrhage, the onset of an epileptic seizure, or, increasingly so, incidentally, while performing a medical examination for another reason. Whether sports practice is a risk factor for hemorrhage is unclear in available literature. When treatment is needed, surgery remains the gold standard. Currently, little data are available on the possibility of resuming contact sports after craniotomy. We report the case of a rugby player who underwent surgery for intracerebral cavernoma. We provide details on how the player was finally cleared to resume rugby practice and on the therapeutic management of this lesion.

Effects of sociodemographic and player characteristics on baseline cognitive performance in 1000 rugby players: A retrospective 8-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effects of sociodemographic and player characteristics on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool and neuropsychological scores over 8 years in a large sample of rugby players. DESIGN: An 8-year retrospective study of preseason clinical assessments of professional rugby players and players enrolled in training academies at professional clubs. METHODS: The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-3 or -5, Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol Substitution Test were administered prior to the start of the competition season for each player. Statistical analyses included: (i) descriptive analyses of sociodemographic, player and neuropsychological characteristics; (ii) multivariate models to identify factors influencing cognitive scores at the first visit; and (iii) linear mixed models to assess the evolution of the scores over the years. RESULTS: One thousand players were included (mean age: 22.8, males: 92 %). Twenty-two percent of the athletes reported baseline symptoms. A higher level of education was associated with better cognitive scores at the first visit and over the years. Forwards had poorer processing speed performances compared to backs at the first visit and over repeated assessments. Finally, the number of examinations was associated with improved cognitive scores showing a practice effect on all the neuropsychological tests, except for the Standardized Assessment of Concussion 5th edition. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this retrospective study could help to improve the management of athletes and return-to-play decision-making in collision sports.

Update on the Efficacy of Cognitive Rehabilitation After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: To identify, categorize, and analyze the methodological issues of cognitive rehabilitation of patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and its efficacy. DATA SOURCES: Pubmed and PsycINFO were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2021 using keywords for cognitive intervention and traumatic brain injury. STUDY SELECTION: Two independent reviewers selected articles concerning cognitive rehabilitation for adults with traumatic brain injury. Of 458 studies, 97 full-text articles were assessed and 46 met the inclusion criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were analyzed by 1 reviewer according to criteria concerning the methodological quality of studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: Results showed a large scope of 7 cognitive domains targeted by interventions, delivered mostly in individual sessions (83%) with an integrative cognitive approach (48%). Neuroimaging tools as a measure of outcome remained scarce, featuring in only 20% of studies. Forty-three studies reported significant effects of cognitive rehabilitation, among which 7 fulfilled a high methodological level of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Advances and shortcomings in cognitive rehabilitation have both been highlighted and led us to develop methodological key points for future studies. The choice of outcome measures, the selection of control interventions, and the use of combined rehabilitation should be investigated in further studies.