Padded Headgear in Junior and Youth Australian Football: Player Insights From a National Survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate beliefs and factors associated with padded headgear (HG) use in junior (<13 years) and youth (≥13 years) Australian football. DESIGN: Online survey. SETTING: Junior and youth athletes in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Australian football players aged U8 to U18. ASSESSMENT OF VARIABLES: Survey questions regarding demographics, HG use, concussion history, beliefs about HG, and risk-taking propensity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of padded HG use, and beliefs associated with HG use. RESULTS: A total of 735 players (including 190, 25.9% female) representing 206 clubs participated. Headgear was worn by 315 players (42.9%; 95% CI: 39.3-46.4). Most (59.5%) HG users wore it for games only and wore it voluntarily (59.7%), as opposed to being mandated to do so. Junior players were more likely than youth players to agree to feeling safer ( P < 0.001) and being able to play harder while wearing HG ( P < 0.001). Median responses were "disagree" on preferring to risk an injury than wear HG, and on experienced players not needing to wear HG. Beliefs did not differ between males and females. Headgear use was associated with players belonging to a club where HG was mandated for other age groups (OR 16.10; 95% CI: 7.71-33.62, P < 0.001), youth players (OR 2.79; 95% CI: 1.93-3.93, P < 0.001), and female players (OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.07-2.30, P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Club HG culture, older age and being female were prominent variables associated with voluntary HG use. Players reported believing that HG offers protection. The rate of voluntary and mandated HG use identified is at odds with current scientific evidence that does not support HG as effective concussion prevention.

Visible Signs of Concussion and Cognitive Screening in Community Sports.

Video surveillance and detection of players with visible signs of concussion by experienced medical staff facilitates rapid on-field screening of suspected concussion in professional sports. This method, however has not been validated in community sports where video footage is unavailable. This study aimed to explore the utility of visible signs of concussion to identify players with decrements in performance on concussion screening measures. In this observational prospective cohort study, personnel with basic training observed live matches across a season (60 matches) of community male and female Australian football for signs of concussion outlined in the community-based Head Injury Assessment form (HIAf). Players identified to have positive signs of concussion (CoSign+) following an impact were compared with players without signs (CoSign-). Outcome measures, the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT3) and Cogstate, were administered at baseline and post-match. CoSign+ (n = 22) and CoSign- (n = 61) groups were similar with respect to age, sex, education, baseline mood, and medical history. CoSign+ players exhibited worse orientation, concentration, and recall, and slower reaction time in attention and working memory tasks. Comparing individual change from baseline to post-match assessment revealed 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84-100%) of CoSign+ players demonstrated clinically significant deficits on SCAT3 or Cogstate tasks, compared with 59% (95% CI: 46-71%) of CoSign- players. All CoSign+ players observed to have a blank/vacant look demonstrated clinically significant decline on the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC). Detection of visible signs of concussion represents a rapid, real-time method for screening players suspected of concussion in community sports where video technology and medical personnel are rarely present. Consistent with community guidelines, it is recommended that all CoSign+ players be immediately removed from play for further concussion screening.

The association of padded headgear with concussion and injury risk in junior Australian football: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether padded headgear was associated with incidence of suspected sports-related concussion, non-sports-related concussion head injury, and injuries to other body regions in junior Australian football. DESIGN: Prospective cohort injury surveillance. METHODS: There were 400 junior players (42.5% female) enrolled across two seasons. Suspected sports-related concussion was defined by detection of observable signs on the field and medical assessment or missed match(es) due to suspected sports-related concussion. Non-sports-related concussion head injury and injuries to other body regions were defined as those that received medical assessment or resulted in a missed match. RESULTS: There were 20 teams monitored over 258 matches. 204 players (2484 player hours) wore mandated headgear throughout the season and 196 (2246 player hours) did not. The incidence rate of suspected sports-related concussion was 3.17 (95% confidence interval: 3.04-3.30) per 1000 player-hours and no differences were observed between males and females (risk ratio 1.11; 95% confidence interval: 0.40-3.06). Headgear use was not associated with suspected sports-related concussion (risk ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.41-2.97), non-sports-related concussion head injury (risk ratio 0.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.06-1.31), or injuries to other body regions (risk ratio 1.41; 95% confidence interval: 0.79-2.53). CONCLUSIONS: Headgear use was not associated with reduced risk of suspected sports-related concussion, non-sports-related concussion head injury or injuries to other body regions. There was no difference in the rate of suspected sports-related concussion in female compared to male players, however, rates of non-sports-related concussion head injury and injuries to other body regions were higher in male players.

A pilot case crossover study of the use of padded headgear in junior Australian football.

Aim: To explore soft-shell padded headgear (HG) use, player behavior and injuries associated with HG in junior Australian football. Methods: Prospective case-crossover with head impact measurement, injury surveillance and video review. Results: 40 players (mean age: 12.43 years, standard deviation: 1.36) across 15 matches were observed. Frequency of head/neck (p = 0.916) or body (p = 0.883) contact events, and match incidents were similar between HG and no HG conditions. Without HG, females had higher frequency of body contacts compared with males (p = 0.015). Males sustained more body contacts with HG than without HG (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Use of HG in junior football was not associated with injury or head contact rate. Associations between HG use and body contact may differ across sexes. (ID: ACTRN12619001165178).

CD8+ T cells specific for an immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid epitope display high naive precursor frequency and TCR promiscuity.

To better understand primary and recall T cell responses during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to examine unmanipulated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cells. By using peptide-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tetramers for direct ex vivo analysis, we characterized CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 epitopes in COVID-19 patients and unexposed individuals. Unlike CD8+ T cells directed toward subdominant epitopes (B7/N257, A2/S269, and A24/S1,208) CD8+ T cells specific for the immunodominant B7/N105 epitope were detected at high frequencies in pre-pandemic samples and at increased frequencies during acute COVID-19 and convalescence. SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells in pre-pandemic samples from children, adults, and elderly individuals predominantly displayed a naive phenotype, indicating a lack of previous cross-reactive exposures. T cell receptor (TCR) analyses revealed diverse TCRαß repertoires and promiscuous αß-TCR pairing within B7/N105+CD8+ T cells. Our study demonstrates high naive precursor frequency and TCRαß diversity within immunodominant B7/N105-specific CD8+ T cells and provides insight into SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell origins and subsequent responses.

Child concussion recognition and recovery: a community delivered, evidenced-based solution.

Pediatric concussion is a growing health concern. Concussion is generally poorly understood within the community. Many parents are unaware of the signs and varying symptoms of concussion. Despite the existence of concussion management and return to play guidelines, few parents are aware of how to manage their child's recovery and return to activities. Digital health technology can improve the way this information is communicated to the community. A multidisciplinary team of pediatric concussion researchers and clinicians translated evidence-based, gold-standard guidelines and tools into a smartphone application with recognition and recovery components. HeadCheck is a community facing digital health application developed in Australia (not associated with HeadCheck Health) for management of concussion in children aged 5-18 years. The application consists of (I) a sideline concussion check and (II) symptom monitoring and symptom-targeted psychoeducation to assist the parent manage their child's safe return to school, exercise and sport. The application was tested with target end users as part of the development process. HeadCheck provides an accessible platform for disseminating best practice evidence. It provides feedback to help recognize a concussion and symptoms of more serious injuries and assists parents guide their child's recovery.

Mental health screening: severity and cut-off point sensitivity of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire in male and female elite athletes.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the sensitivity/specificity of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ) in both male and female elite athletes, and also assess internal consistency and convergent/divergent validity, and determine discriminative validity relative to current injury status. METHODS: Data were provided by 1093 elite athletes (males n=1007; females n=84). Scale validity and reliability values were benchmarked against validated measures of general psychological distress and well-being. ROC curve analysis determined a range of optimal severity cut-points. RESULTS: Bias-corrected area under curve (AUC) values supported three APSQ cut-points for moderate (AUC=0.901), high (AUC=0.944) and very high (AUC=0.951) categories. APSQ total score Cronbach coefficients exceeded those observed for the Kessler 10 (K-10). Gender ×injury status interactions were observed for the APSQ total score and K-10, whereby injured female athletes reported higher scores relative to males and non-injured female counterparts. CONCLUSION: By providing a range of cut-off scores identifying those scoring in the marginal and elevated ranges, the APSQ may better facilitate earlier identification for male and female elite athletes vulnerable to mental health symptoms and developing syndromes. Use of the APSQ may support sports medicine practitioners and allied health professionals to detect early mental ill health manifestations and facilitate timely management and ideally, remediation of symptoms.

Concussion Guidelines in National and International Professional and Elite Sports.

The Berlin statement on sport-related concussion was published in 2017 using evidence-based recommendations. We aimed to examine (1) the implementation of, distribution and education based on the Berlin recommendations, and the development of sport-specific protocols/guidelines among professional and elite sports, (2) the implementation of guidelines at the community level, (3) translation of guidelines into different languages, and (4) research activities. Senior medical advisers and chief medical officers from Australian Football League, All Japan Judo Federation, British Horseracing Authority, Cricket Australia, Fédération Equestre Internationale, Football Association, Gaelic Athletic Association, International Boxing Association, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Rugby League, and World Rugby completed a questionnaire. The results demonstrated that all 14 sporting organizations have published concussion protocols/guidelines based on the Berlin recommendations, including Recognize, Removal from play, Re-evaluation, Rest, Recovery, and Return to play. There is variable inclusion of Prolonged symptoms. Prevention and Risk reduction and Long-term effects are addressed in the guidelines, rules and regulations, and/or sport-specific research. There is variability in education programs, monitoring compliance with guidelines, and publication in other languages. All sporting bodies are actively involved in concussion research. We conclude that the Berlin recommendations have been included in concussion protocols/guidelines by all the sporting bodies, with consistency in the essential components of the recommendations, whilst also allowing for sport- and regional-specific variations. Education at the elite, community, and junior levels remains an ongoing challenge, and future iterations of guidelines may consider multiple language versions, and community- and junior-level guidelines.

An Investigation of Factors Associated With Head Impact Exposure in Professional Male and Female Australian Football Players.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to head acceleration events (HAEs) has been associated with player sex, player position, and player experience in North American football, ice hockey, and lacrosse. Little is known of these factors in professional Australian football. Video analysis allows HAE verification and characterization of important determinants of injury. PURPOSE: To characterize verified HAEs in the nonhelmeted contact sport of professional Australian football and investigate the association of sex, player position, and player experience with HAE frequency and magnitude. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Professional Australian football players wore a nonhelmeted accelerometer for 1 match, with data collected across 14 matches. HAEs with peak linear accelerations (PLAs) ≥30g were verified with match video. Verified HAEs were summarized by frequency and median PLA and compared between the sexes, player position, and player experience. Characterization of match-related situations of verified HAEs was conducted, and the head impact rate per skill execution was calculated. RESULTS: 92 male and 118 female players were recruited during the 2017 season. Male players sustained more HAEs (median, 1; IQR, 0-2) than female players (median, 0; IQR, 0-1; P = .007) during a match. The maximum PLAs incurred during a match were significantly higher in male players (median, 61.8g; IQR, 40.5-87.1) compared with female players (median, 44.5g; IQR, 33.6-74.8; P = .032). Neither player position nor experience was associated with HAE frequency. Of all verified HAEs, 52% (n = 110) occurred when neither team had possession of the football, and 46% (n = 98) were caused by contact from another player attempting to gain possession of the football. A subset of HAEs (n = 12; 5.7%) resulted in players seeking medical aid and/or being removed from the match (median PLA, 58.8g; IQR, 34.0-89.0), with 2 (male) players diagnosed with concussion after direct head impacts and associated PLAs of 62g and 75g, respectively. In the setting of catching (marking) the football, female players exhibited twice the head impact rate (16 per 100 marking contests) than male players (8 per 100 marking contests). CONCLUSION: Playing situations in which players have limited control of the football are a common cause of impacts. Male players sustained a greater exposure to HAEs compared with female players. Female players, however, sustained higher exposure to HAEs than male players during certain skill executions, possibly reflecting differences in skill development. These findings can therefore inform match and skill development in the emerging professional women's competition of Australian football.

The potential of head acceleration measurement to augment current best practice in concussion screening in professional Australian football players.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential utility of head acceleration event (HAE) measurements to augment identification of players for further concussion screening in non-helmeted contact sport. DESIGN: Prospective observational pilot study. PARTICIPANTS: 210 (118 female) professional Australian football players in 2017 season. METHODS: Players wore the X-Patch® accelerometer for one match each with data collected across 14 matches. Players with HAEs above thresholds associated with concussion, 95 g (males) or 85.5 g (females), were compared to players identified to have suspected concussion by club personnel during the inspected matches. Video review of matches was undertaken by a physician blinded to HAEs to identify players with concussive signs. RESULTS: Among 26 players (50% female) with HAEs above threshold, two players were screened for concussion. Of the remaining 24 players, nine were not visible on video at the HAE time, six sustained verifiable head impacts, and nine sustained verifiable body impacts with no head impacts. Among 184 players with HAEs below threshold, five players were screened. CONCLUSION: Players were identified to have head impacts and suspected concussion in the absence of HAEs above threshold. Use of X-Patch® was not sufficiently reliable for identifying players for further concussion screening in professional Australian football. Video review of head impacts remains essential in concussion screening.

Glucocorticoid prescribing habits of sports medicine physicians working in high-performance sport: a 30-nation survey.

OBJECTIVES: Glucocorticoids are commonly prescribed in medicine. When administered via certain routes, glucocorticoids are prohibited for incompetition use by WADA. The glucocorticoid prescribing habits of sports medicine doctors have not been reported. METHODS: An online survey was distributed internationally to physicians working in high-performance sports. The survey queried the doctors about their use of glucocorticoids with athletes and their understanding of WADA's regulations regarding glucocorticoid use in competition. RESULTS: 603 sports medicine doctors from 30 different countries participated. The majority (>85%) routinely injected glucocorticoids and/or prescribed glucocorticoids by other routes. There were substantial differences in the common routes of injection as well as types of glucocorticoid used among the physicians from various countries. A relatively small percentage of sports doctors (<25%) accurately identified which routes of glucocorticoid administration are prohibited in competition by WADA. There was a great variation in how long before competition the use of glucocorticoids would cause the doctor to consider applying for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE). A better understanding of the clearance rates of glucocorticoids from athletes' bodies would greatly aid sports medicine doctors' decisions on how and when to apply for a TUE. A small number of doctors had observed side effects of glucocorticoid administration, with the majority of side effects being minor in nature. CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed by sports physicians. There is a need to better educate sports physicians on the current WADA regulations in relation to glucocorticoid administration.

Glucocorticoids in elite sport: current status, controversies and innovative management strategies-a narrative review.

The use of systemic glucocorticoids (GCs), as well as local injections, continues to be a controversial issue in the sport/anti-doping community. There is widespread and legitimate use of GCs for numerous health conditions, yet there are concerns about side effects and the possibility of enhanced athletic performance in limited settings. This is compounded by the uncertainty regarding the prevalence of GC use, mechanisms underlying physiological effects and complex pharmacokinetics of different formulations. While WADA continues to promote research in this complex area, some international sporting federations, major event organisers and professional sports leagues have introduced innovative rules such as needle policies, mandatory rest periods and precompetition guidelines to promote judicious use of GCs, focusing on athlete health and supervision of medical personnel. These complementary sport-specific rules are helping to ensure the appropriate use of GCs in athletes where overuse is a particular concern. Where systemic GCs are medically necessary, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) may be granted after careful evaluation by TUE Committees based on specific and strict criteria. Continued vigilance and cooperation between physicians, scientists and anti-doping organisations is essential to ensure that GC use in sport respects not only principles of fairness and adherence to the rules but also promotes athlete health and well-being. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarise the use and management of GCs in sport illustrating several innovative programmes by sport leagues and federations.

International consensus definitions of video signs of concussion in professional sports.

BACKGROUND: The use of video to assist professional sporting bodies with the diagnosis of sport-related concussion (SRC) has been well established; however, there has been little consistency across sporting codes with regards to which video signs should be used, and the definitions of each of these signs. AIM: The aims of this study were to develop a consensus for the video signs considered to be most useful in the identification of a possible SRC and to develop a consensus definition for each of these video signs across the sporting codes. METHODS: A brief questionnaire was used to assess which video signs were considered to be most useful in the identification of a possible concussion. Consensus was defined as >90% agreement by respondents. Existing definitions of these video signs from individual sports were collated, and individual components of the definitions were assessed and ranked. A modified Delphi approach was then used to create a consensus definition for each of the video signs. RESULTS: Respondents representing seven sporting bodies (Australian Football League, Cricket Australia, Major League Baseball, NFL, NHL, National Rugby League, World Rugby) reached consensus on eight video signs of concussion. Thirteen representatives from the seven professional sports ranked the definition components. Consolidation and refinement of the video signs and their definitions resulted in consensus definitions for six video signs of possible concussion: lying motionless, motor incoordination, impact seizure, tonic posturing, no protective action-floppy and blank/vacant look. CONCLUSIONS: These video signs and definitions have reached international consensus, are indicated for use by professional sporting bodies and will form the basis for further collaborative research.

International study of video review of concussion in professional sports.

BACKGROUND: Video review has become an important tool in professional sporting codes to help sideline identification and management of players with a potential concussion. AIM: To assess current practices related to video review of concussion in professional sports internationally, and compare protocols and diagnostic criteria used to identify and manage potential concussions. METHODS: Current concussion management guidelines from professional national and international sporting codes were reviewed. Specific criteria and definitions of video signs associated with concussion were compared between codes. Rules and regulations adopted across the codes for processes around video review were also assessed. RESULTS: Six sports with specific diagnostic criteria and definitions for signs of concussion identified on video review participated in this study (Australian football, American football, world rugby, cricket, rugby league and ice hockey). Video signs common to all sports include lying motionless/loss of responsiveness and motor incoordination. The video signs considered by the majority of sports as most predictive of a diagnosis of concussion include motor incoordination, impact seizure, tonic posturing and lying motionless. Regulatory requirements, sideline availability of video, medical expertise of video reviewers and use of spotters differ across sports and geographical boundaries. By and large, these differences reflect a pragmatic approach from each sport, with limited underlying research and development of the video review process in some instances. CONCLUSIONS: The use of video analysis in assisting medical staff with the diagnosis or identification of potential concussion is well established across different sports internationally. The diagnostic criteria used and the expertise of the video review personnel are not clearly established, and research efforts would benefit from a collaborative harmonisation across sporting codes.

Implementation of the 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement in contact and collision sports: a joint position statement from 11 national and international sports organisations.

The 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement provides a global summary of best practice in concussion prevention, diagnosis and management, underpinned by systematic reviews and expert consensus. Due to their different settings and rules, individual sports need to adapt concussion guidelines according to their specific regulatory environment. At the same time, consistent application of the Berlin Consensus Statement's themes across sporting codes is likely to facilitate superior and uniform diagnosis and management, improve concussion education and highlight collaborative research opportunities. This document summarises the approaches discussed by medical representatives from the governing bodies of 10 different contact and collision sports in Dublin, Ireland in July 2017. Those sports are: American football, Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian sports, football/soccer, ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and skiing. This document had been endorsed by 11 sport governing bodies/national federations at the time of being published.

Time for change: a roadmap to guide the implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code 2015.

A medical and scientific multidisciplinary consensus meeting was held from 29 to 30 November 2013 on Anti-Doping in Sport at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, to create a roadmap for the implementation of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code. The consensus statement and accompanying papers set out the priorities for the antidoping community in research, science and medicine. The participants achieved consensus on a strategy for the implementation of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code. Key components of this strategy include: (1) sport-specific risk assessment, (2) prevalence measurement, (3) sport-specific test distribution plans, (4) storage and reanalysis, (5) analytical challenges, (6) forensic intelligence, (7) psychological approach to optimise the most deterrent effect, (8) the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and confounding factors, (9) data management system (Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS), (10) education, (11) research needs and necessary advances, (12) inadvertent doping and (13) management and ethics: biological data. True implementation of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code will depend largely on the ability to align thinking around these core concepts and strategies. FIFA, jointly with all other engaged International Federations of sports (Ifs), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), are ideally placed to lead transformational change with the unwavering support of the wider antidoping community. The outcome of the consensus meeting was the creation of the ad hoc Working Group charged with the responsibility of moving this agenda forward.

A forensic perspective of the AFL investigation into peptides: an antidoping investigation case study.

BACKGROUND: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is introducing enhancements to doping investigations in its 2015 Code, which include improved sharing of information between antidoping organisations (including sporting bodies) and enhanced accountability of athlete support staff. These additions will improve the control of links between sports doping and organised crime. In February 2013 the Australian Crime Commission released a report that linked several professional sporting codes, professional athletes with links to organised crime, performance enhancing drugs and illicit substances. Following this report the Australian Football League (AFL) partnered the Australian national antidoping organisation to investigate peptide use in Australian football. METHODS: This review compared the model proposed by Marclay, a hypothetical model for anti-doping investigations that proposed a forensic intelligence and analysis approach, to use the forensic capabilities of the AFL investigation to test the model's relevance to an actual case. RESULTS: The investigation uncovered the use of peptides used to enhance athlete performance. The AFL investigation found a high risk of doping where athlete support staff existed in teams with weak corporate governance controls. A further finding included the need for the investigation to provide a timely response in professional team sports that were sensitive to the competition timing. In the case of the AFL the team was sanctioned prior to the finals as an interim outcome for allowing the risk of use of performance-enhancing substances. Doping violation charges are still being considered. DISCUSSION: Antidoping strategies should include the investigation of corporate officers in team doping circumstances, the mandatory recording of all athlete substance use during competition and training phases, the wider sharing of forensic intelligence with non-sporting bodies particularly law enforcement and collaboration between antidoping and sporting organisations in doping investigations. CONCLUSIONS: The AFL investigation illustrated the importance of the 2015 WADA Code changes and highlighted the need for a systematic use of broad forensic intelligence activities in the investigation of doping violations.