Multifaceted concussion assessment battery: sensitivity at the expense of specificity?

Objectives: A multifaceted assessment battery is recommended for testing suspected concussed athletes; however, the individual tests have limitations and potentially may lead to false positive outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to psychometrically evaluate concussion assessment tools used for intercollegiate student-athletes, with a focus on the time interval between baseline and subsequent assessments.

Methods: Ninety-two collegiate student-athletes matched between concussion ( = 46.

Collegiate student-athletes concussion knowledge and attitudes: what a difference a decade Makes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in concussion knowledge and attitudes amongst incoming intercollegiate student-athletes over the course of a decade (2010-2012 vs 2021-2023).

Methods: There were 592 student-athletes from 2 cohorts (2010-2012, 2021-2023) who completed the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (ROCKaS) questionnaire which is comprised of a concussion knowledge index (CKI, 0-24) and attitude index (CAI, 15-75) with higher scores reflecting better performance. A three factor ANOVA (Group, Sex, Concussion History) compared performance on the CKI and CAI.

Acute Physical and Mental Activity Influence on Concussion Recovery.

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) and mental activity (MA) postconcussion has received renewed attention to improve concussion management; however, most protocols start after several days and do not assess the acute window. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess PA and MA in the first 48 h postconcussion on the time to symptom-free status and return to play.

Methods: We recruited 78 NCAA Division I athletes (male, 51.

Ankle-Knee Initial Contact Angle and Latency to Maximum Angle are Affected by Prolonged Run.

The initial contact and midstance angles may influence injury risk. Previous literature has not assessed these angles under the influence of new footwear for a non-exhaustive prolonged run or the relationship between the angles. To assess lower extremity kinematic changes and the relationship between kinematic parameters at initial contact and midstance with prolonged running under the influence of different types of footwear.

Impairments in Dynamic Postural Control across Concussion Clinical Milestones.

The aim of this study was to assess gait initiation (GI) performance longitudinally across clinical concussion recovery milestones through return to participation (RTP). We recruited 54 collegiate student-athletes, 27 with concussions and 27 matched controls (15 female and 12 male per group). Participants performed five trials of GI at baseline and again at five post-concussion clinical milestones: 1) Acute, the day clinical tests achieved baseline values on the 2) Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), 3) Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test ImPACT, 4) Asymptomatic, and 5) RTP Day.

The use of a visual motor test to identify lingering deficits in concussed collegiate athletes.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests neurophysiological deficits, such as visual motor coordination (VMC), may persist beyond clinical concussion recovery. Instrumented measurement of upper-limb VMC is critical for neurological evaluation post-concussion and may identify persistent deficits further elucidating persistent neurophysiological impairments not detected by the current clinical assessment battery.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine if a VMC test identifies persistent deficits in concussed collegiate student-athletes who have returned to baseline on clinical concussion assessments.

Differential Effects of Acute and Multiple Concussions on Gait Initiation Performance.

Objective: To identify the effect of acute and multiple concussions on gait initiation performance.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: University research center.

Repetitive Head Impacts in Football Do Not Impair Dynamic Postural Control.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of repetitive head impacts experienced by football players compared to noncontact athletes on dynamic postural control during both single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions.

Methods: Thirty-four football players wearing accelerometer instrumented helmets and 13 cheerleaders performed a dynamic postural control battery, consisting of ST and DT gait initiation, gait, and gait termination, both prior to and following the football season. A 2 (group) × 2 (time) repeated measures ANOVA compared performance across 32 dynamic postural outcomes.

Repetitive head impacts do not affect postural control following a competitive athletic season.

Evidence suggests that Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) directly influence the brain over the course of a single contact collision season yet do not significantly impact a player's performance on the standard clinical concussion assessment battery. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in static postural control after a season of RHI in Division I football athletes using more sensitive measures of postural control as compared to a non-head contact sports. Fourteen Division I football players (CON) (age=20.

Decreased Anticipatory Postural Adjustments During Gait Initiation Acutely Postconcussion.

Objective: To investigate anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during the transitional movement task of gait initiation (GI) in individuals acutely after a concussion.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: University research center.

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Modified Balance Error Scoring System in Concussed Collegiate Student Athletes.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS) compared with the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) in an acutely concussed population.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: University athletic training room.

ASB clinical biomechanics award winner 2016: Assessment of gaze stability within 24-48hours post-concussion.

Background: Approximately 90% of athletes with concussion experience a certain degree of visual system dysfunction immediately post-concussion. Of these abnormalities, gaze stability deficits are denoted as among the most common. Little research quantitatively explores these variables post-concussion.

Evidence of a conservative gait strategy in athletes with a history of concussions.

Background: A history of 3 or more concussions is frequently associated with numerous short- and long-term neuropathologies. Impairments in postural control are a known acute consequence of concussion; however, limited evidence exists on the effects of multiple concussions on gait. The purpose of this study was to assess gait stepping characteristics in collegiate aged student-athletes based on concussion history.

Altered dynamic postural control during gait termination following concussion.

Impaired postural control is a cardinal symptom following concussion. Planned gait termination (GT) is a non-novel, dynamic task that challenges postural control in individuals with neurological deficits, and it could be an impactful measure for identifying dynamic postural control impairments following concussion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess acute post-concussion dynamic postural control utilizing a planned GT task.

Scapular Upward-Rotation Deficits After Acute Fatigue in Tennis Players.

Context: Fatigue in overhead athletes reduces shoulder muscular contraction and proprioception. These deficits may lead to alterations in scapular upward rotation, which is associated with multiple chronic shoulder conditions prevalent in tennis players.

Objective: To identify the effect of a functional fatigue protocol on scapular upward rotation in collegiate male tennis players.

Acute Cognitive and Physical Rest May Not Improve Concussion Recovery Time.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an acute period of cognitive and physical rest on concussion.

Participants: Fifty consecutive patients with a diagnosis of concussions.

Design: Participants were evaluated before (n = 25) and after (n = 25) a policy change that incorporated cognitive and physical rest.

Sideline Performance of the Balance Error Scoring System during a Live Sporting Event.

Objective: The purpose was to examine the influence of a live sporting sideline environment on balance error scoring system (BESS) performance.

Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: The BESS was performed by all participants at 3 locations: (1) quiet laboratory, (2) football stadium sidelines, and (3) basketball arena sidelines.

Balance error scoring system performance changes after a competitive athletic season.

Objective: To evaluate the change in Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) performance after an athletic season.

Design: A prospective longitudinal group study.

Setting: University biomechanics research laboratory.

Altered gait termination strategies following a concussion.

The purpose was to determine if planned gait termination can identify acute and lingering motor control strategy alterations in post-concussion individuals. Controls completed two standard gait and five planned gait termination trials once while concussed individuals were tested on Day-1 and Day-10 post-concussion. Dependent variables included gait velocity and normalized, relative to standard gait, peak propulsive and braking forces.

Comparison of split double and triple twists in pair figure skating.

In this study, we compared the kinematic variables of the split triple twist with those of the split double twist to help coaches and scientists understand these landmark pair skating skills. High-speed video was taken during the pair short and free programmes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the 2003 International Skating Union Grand Prix Finals. Three-dimensional analyses of 14 split double twists and 15 split triple twists from eleven pairs were completed.

Comparison of Cervical Spine Motion During Application Among 4 Rigid Immobilization Collars.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the cervical spine range of motion that occurred during application of 4 rigid cervical immobilization collars, the time of application, and the amount of active range of motion available after application. DESIGN AND SETTING: We evaluated the amount of cervical motion that occurred during application of 4 commonly used collars: NECLOC (NL), StifNeck (SN), StifNeck Select (SNS), and Rapid Form Vacuum Immobilizer (VI). Each clinician applied a properly sized collar to both a small- and medium-size model 3 times.