Performing more than 20 purposeful gameplay headers in a soccer season may alter autonomic function in female youth soccer players.

This study evaluated the effects of cumulative purposeful soccer heading on autonomic nervous system function in 22 female youth soccer players (13.3 ± 0.9 years).

An Evaluation of Heart Rate Variability in Female Youth Soccer Players Following Soccer Heading: A Pilot Study.

Most head impacts in soccer occur from purposeful heading; however, the link between heading and neurological impairment is unknown. Previous work suggests concussion may result in an uncoupling between the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular system. Accordingly, heart rate variability (HRV) may be a sensitive measure to provide meaningful information regarding repetitive heading in soccer.

Concussion Symptoms Predictive of Adolescent Sport-Related Concussion Injury.

Objective: To assess the predictive capability of the postconcussion symptom scale (PCSS) of the sport concussion assessment tool (SCAT) III to differentiate concussed and nonconcussed adolescents.

Design: Retrospective.

Setting: Tertiary.

Concussion in Adolescents Impairs Heart Rate Response to Brief Handgrip Exercise.

Objective: Test the hypotheses that (1) concussion in adolescents impairs autonomic neural control of heart rate (HR), and (2) HR reactivity improves with symptom resolution.

Design: Observational, case-control.

Participants: Nineteen concussed adolescents (8 female adolescents; age 15 ± 2 years) and 16 healthy controls (6 female adolescents, age 15 ± 2 years).

MRI-based relationships between spine pathology, intervertebral disc degeneration, and muscle fatty infiltration in chondrodystrophic and non-chondrodystrophic dogs.

Background Context: Human studies have revealed a link between muscle degeneration and low back pain, although the cause and effect of this relationship is not clear. Dogs provide a naturally developing model of intervertebral disc (IVD)-related low back pain that may provide insight into relationships between IVD and muscle degeneration.

Purpose: This study aimed to quantify, via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the magnitude and location of fatty infiltration in spine muscles of chondrodystrophic (CD) and non-chondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs suffering from both intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) and non-disc-related spinal disorders, and relate this to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD).

Effects of changes in muscle activation level and spine and hip posture on erector spinae fiber orientation.

Introduction: During lumbar flexion, the fiber orientation of the lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle becomes oriented more along the spine compressive axis. It is unknown how changes in LES activation effect fiber orientation.

Methods: Ultrasound images of LES were collected during 2 sets of experimental conditions: (1) varying levels of LES activation while lying prone; and (2) varying spine and hip angles while seated.