Association between magnetic resonance imaging use and recovery time following concussion: a CARE consortium study.

Researchers may implement magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate neurophysiological metrics (e.g. connectivity) in athletes with sports-related concussion (SRC).

Factors Associated with Persisting Post-Concussion Symptoms Among Collegiate Athletes and Military Cadets: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.

Background: Persisting post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) is a condition characterized by prolonged recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and compromised quality of life. Previous literature, on the basis of small sample sizes, concludes that there are several risk factors for the development of PPCS.

Objective: We seek to identify protective and risk factors for developing slow recovery or persisting post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) by analyzing medical history, contact sport level, setting, and the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) assessments at baseline and post-injury.

Association of Alzheimer's Disease Polygenic Risk Score with Concussion Severity and Recovery Metrics.

Background: Identification of genetic alleles associated with both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and concussion severity/recovery could help explain the association between concussion and elevated dementia risk. However, there has been little investigation into whether AD risk genes associate with concussion severity/recovery, and the limited findings are mixed.

Objective: We used AD polygenic risk scores (PRS) and APOE genotypes to investigate any such associations in the NCAA-DoD Grand Alliance CARE Consortium (CARE) dataset.

Quantifying the Diagnostic Utility of Baseline Testing in Concussion Management: An Analysis of Collegiate Athletes From the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium Dataset.

Background: Although preseason baseline testing is a commonly recommended part of the concussion management process, its "value-added" contribution to the diagnosis of acute concussion compared with normative reference values remains in question.

Purpose: This research aimed to evaluate the diagnostic benefits of baseline testing in acute concussion assessment compared with normative reference values and characterize the athletes who receive the most diagnostic utility from baseline testing.

Study Design: Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Factors Associated With Return to Activity After Concussion Among Female Service Academy Members: Findings From the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.

Introduction: Service academy members are at high risk for concussions as a result of participation in both sports and military-specific training activities. Approximately 17% of active duty service members are female, and they face unique challenges in achieving timely recovery from concussions. Understanding the unique characteristics affecting return to unrestricted activity (RTA) among female service academy members is imperative for the ever-growing proportion of females across the U.

Hawaiian High School Football Player Positional Differences in Helmet Impact Characteristics.

Context: The importance of analyzing head impact exposure among football players is well established, yet few studies have explored the differences across position groups in high school athletes. Better understanding of these differences may provide optimized intervention strategies for coaches and healthcare providers.

Objective: To quantify the difference of head impacts per exposure (Imp/E) and impact burden high school football player position groups.

Progesterone and Estradiol Levels Associated with Concussion and Clinical Outcomes and Recovery in Female Athletes and Cadets.

Introduction: Female athletes are underrepresented in concussion research, and few studies have investigated associations of ovarian hormones with concussion outcomes. This study explored associations of concussion with levels and variability of progesterone, estradiol, and their ratio (P/E) and examined relationships of hormone levels with clinical measures and recovery after concussion in CARE Consortium female athletes and cadets.Methods: Female participants enrolled (n = 749) at pre-injury baseline.

SCAT Symptom Evolution in the Acute Concussion Phase: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.

The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) is the most widely used tool following sport-related concussion (SRC). Initial SCAT symptom burden is a strong predictor of recovery in collegiate athletes; however, it is unknown if symptom presentation varies within the acute (<48 h) post-SRC phase. The purpose of this cohort study was to examine acute SRC symptom presentation among the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes.

Optimizing Concussion Care Seeking: Using Machine Learning to Predict Delayed Concussion Reporting.

Background: Early medical attention after concussion may minimize symptom duration and burden; however, many concussions are undiagnosed or have a delay in diagnosis after injury. Many concussion symptoms (eg, headache, dizziness) are not visible, meaning that early identification is often contingent on individuals reporting their injury to medical staff. A fundamental understanding of the types and levels of factors that explain when concussions are reported can help identify promising directions for intervention.

Association of Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk score with concussion severity and recovery metrics.

Identification of genetic alleles associated with both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and concussion severity/recovery could help explain the association between concussion and elevated dementia risk. However, there has been little investigation into whether AD risk genes associate with concussion severity/recovery, and the limited findings are mixed. We used AD polygenic risk scores (PRS) and genotypes to investigate any such associations in the NCAA-DoD Grand Alliance CARE Consortium (CARE) dataset.

Sex Differences Across Concussion Characteristics in US Service Academy Cadets: A CARE Consortium Study.

Objective: To describe sex differences in concussion characteristics in US Service Academy cadets.

Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Setting: Four US service academies.

Association of Sport Helmet Status on Concussion Presentation and Recovery in Male Collegiate Student-Athletes.

Sporting helmets contain force attenuating materials which reduce traumatic head injury risk and may influence sport-related concussion (SRC) sequelae. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of sport helmet status with SRC-clinical presentation and recovery trajectories in men's collegiate athletes. Sport helmet status was based on the nature of sports being either helmeted/non-helmeted.

Latent Profiles of Acute Symptoms, Cognitive Performance, and Balance in Sport-Related Concussions.

Background: A sport-related concussion (SRC) is a common injury that affects multiple clinical domains such as cognition, balance, and nonspecific neurobehavioral symptoms. Although multidimensional clinical assessments of concussion are widely accepted, there remain limited empirical data on the nature and clinical utility of distinct clinical profiles identified by multimodal assessments.

Purpose: Our objectives were to (1) identify distinct clinical profiles discernible from acute postinjury scores on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), composed of a symptom checklist, a cognitive assessment (Standardized Assessment of Concussion), and a balance assessment (Balance Error Scoring System), and (2) evaluate the clinical utility of the identified profiles by examining their association with injury characteristics, neuropsychological outcomes, and clinical management-related outcomes.

The Prevalence and Influence of New or Worsened Neck Pain After a Sport-Related Concussion in Collegiate Athletes: A Study From the CARE Consortium.

Background: Neck pain in a concussion population is an emerging area of study that has been shown to have a negative influence on recovery. This effect has not yet been studied in collegiate athletes.

Hypothesis: New or worsened neck pain is common after a concussion (>30%), negatively influences recovery, and is associated with patient sex and level of contact in sport.

The Interval Between Concussions Does Not Influence Time to Asymptomatic or Return to Play: A CARE Consortium Study.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine if the time interval between two concussive events influences the number of days to asymptomatic status, days to return to play, or performance on common post-concussion assessments following the second concussion.

Methods: Data from 448 collegiate athletes and service academy cadets with two concussions (time between concussions: median 295.0 days [interquartile range: 125.

Mechanisms of Injury Leading to Concussions in Collegiate Soccer Players: A CARE Consortium Study.

Background: Few previous studies have investigated how different injury mechanisms leading to sport-related concussion (SRC) in soccer may affect outcomes.

Purpose: To describe injury mechanisms and evaluate injury mechanisms as predictors of symptom severity, return to play (RTP) initiation, and unrestricted RTP (URTP) in a cohort of collegiate soccer players.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Head Impact Exposure in Hawaiian High School Football: Influence of Adherence Rates on a Helmetless Tackling and Blocking Training Intervention.

Context: High school football remains a popular, physically demanding sport despite the known risks for acute brain and neck injury. Impacts to the head also raise concerns about their cumulative effects and long-term health consequences.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a helmetless tackling training program to reduce head impact exposure in football participants.

National Athletic Trainers' Association Bridge Statement: Management of Sport-Related Concussion.

Objective: To provide athletic trainers and team physicians with updated recommendations to the 2014 National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) concussion position statement regarding concussion management, specifically in the areas of education, assessment, prognostic factors, mental health, return to academics, physical activity, rest, treatment, and return to sport.

Background: Athletic trainers have benefited from the 2 previous NATA position statements on concussion management, and although the most recent NATA position statement is a decade old, knowledge gains in the medical literature warrant updating several (but not all) recommendations. Furthermore, in various areas of the body of literature, current evidence now exists to address items not adequately addressed in the 2014 statement, necessitating the new recommendations.

Factors Influencing Time to Return to Learn Among NCAA Student-Athletes Enrolled in the Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Study.

Purpose: The aim was to describe the demographic and post-injury factors that influence time to return to learn (RTL) among student-athletes enrolled in the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium.

Methods: A total of 47,860 student-athletes enrolled in the National Collegiate Athletic Association-Department of Defense (NCAA-DoD) CARE Consortium study from 2014 to 2020, with 1485 sport-related concussions (SRCs) analyzed in the present dataset. Demographic and post-injury characteristics were calculated using descriptive statistics, followed by Kaplan-Meier estimates to examine median time to return to normal academic performance (i.

Profile of brief symptom inventory-18 (BSI-18) scores in collegiate athletes: A CARE Consortium study.

: The goal of this study was to characterize normative scores for the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) in collegiate athletes to inform decision making about the need for psychological health services in this group. : Collegiate student-athletes ( = 20,034) from 25 universities completed the BSI-18 at their preseason baseline assessment. A subgroup ( = 5,387) underwent multiple baseline assessments.

Optimizing Concussion Care Seeking: Connecting Care-Seeking Behaviors and Neurophysiological States Through Blood Biomarkers.

Background: Timely and appropriate medical care after concussion presents a difficult public health problem. Concussion identification and treatment rely heavily on self-report, but more than half of concussions go unreported or are reported after a delay. If incomplete self-report increases exposure to harm, blood biomarkers may objectively indicate this neurobiological dysfunction.