The Influence of Kinesiophobia on Time to Clinical Recovery in Collegiate Athletes with Concussion.

Background: Several factors such as acute symptom severity, premorbid anxiety, and depression have been associated with concussion recovery. Elevated kinesiophobia has been associated with recovery from musculoskeletal conditions, as well as increased reaction time and vestibular-ocular motor dysfunction following concussion. However, kinesiophobia has yet to be evaluated as a modifier of concussion recovery time.

Recovery Is Similar Between Black and White College Athletes Following Sport-Related Concussion.

Context: Racial identity may associate with clinical outcomes following sport-related concussion (SRC). This study compared clinical outcome scores before and after recovery from a SRC between Black or White college athletes.

Design: Prospective cohort.

LIMBIC military and tactical athlete research study: making lemonade 101.

The Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Military and Tactical Athlete Research Study (LIMBIC MATARS) program established in 2020 is comprised of 22 universities and health systems across the United States. The LIMBIC MATARS Consortium's goal is to increase understanding of the complexities of concussion in collegiate athletes by leveraging extant retrospective and novel prospective data sets through the application of innovative research designs. The manuscripts in this special issue represent findings from clinical data sets based on consensus-derived common data elements collected from the 2015-2016 to 2019-2020 sport seasons that include 1311 cases of collegiate athletes diagnosed with concussion.

Concussion and the Sleeping Brain.

Background: Emerging research has suggested sleep to be a modifier of the trajectory of concussion recovery in adolescent and adult populations. Despite the growing recognition of the relationship between sleep and concussion, the mechanisms and physiological processes governing this association have yet to be established.

Main Body: Following a concussion, a pathophysiologic cascade of events occurs, characterized by numerous factors including microglia activation, ionic imbalance, and release of excitatory neurotransmitters.

More Than Skin Deep: Patient-Provider Racial and Ethnic Concordance and Discordance in Collegiate Athletics and Concussion Management.

Context: There is strong evidence that racial and ethnic disparities exist in multiple arenas of health and wellness. The causes of racial and ethnic differences in health care are multidimensional; one factor that may affect injury/illness communication, interactions, and outcomes is patient-provider racial and ethnic concordance. At present, it is unclear what role patient-provider racial and ethnic concordance and discordance plays in facilitating concussion care for collegiate athletes.

Influence of sleep symptoms on recovery from concussion in collegiate athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS consortium investigation.

Objective: Changes in sleep quality and quantity are commonly endorsed by individuals following a concussion. Limited data exists examining the role of sleep disturbances within 72 hours, and throughout recovery, from concussion. The objective of this study was to determine if the number of days to symptom resolution varied between collegiate athletes with or without sleep-related symptoms following a concussion.

Comparison of Limb Loading Characteristics and Subjective Functional Outcomes Between Sexes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Context: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) patients commonly adopt poor movement patterns that potentially place them at an increased risk for reinjury if untreated. Limb loading characteristics during functional tasks can highlight movement compensations.

Objective: To examine loading symmetry during a bilateral bodyweight squatting task between sexes, compare loading metrics between limbs and sexes, and describe the relationship between loading metrics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after ACLR.

Academic adjustments and concussion recoveries in NCAA student-athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS investigation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between academic adjustments and recovery from sport-related concussions (SRCs) in collegiate athletes.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective medical chart review was performed between the 2015-2016 and 2019-2020 sport seasons at 11 Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium Military and Tactical Athlete Research Study (LIMBIC MATARS) sites. Days between injury and symptom resolution, and injury and return to sport (dependent variables) for collegiate athletes who did or did not receive academic adjustments (independent variable) were analyzed using Mann-Whitney tests.

The Influence of Race on Time to Symptom Resolution Following Sport Concussion in Collegiate Athletes.

Context: Race has been shown to influence computerized neurocognitive test scores, motor function test scores, and reported symptomology following sport-related concussion (SRC). However, the effect race may have on recovery time following SRC remains unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of race on days until symptom free from SRC in NCAA Division 1 collegiate athletes.

Exploring the relationship between contraceptive medication use and concussion recovery in female collegiate athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS consortium investigation.

Objective: While recovery from concussion is variable, women are more likely to report symptoms, experience worse outcomes, and have longer recovery trajectories following concussion than men. Preliminary data suggest that hormonal fluctuations, specifically progesterone, may be associated with this variability. This study aimed to understand the effect of contraceptive medication on concussion recovery.

Concussion diagnosis and recovery in relation to collegiate athletic department classification: a LIMBIC MATARS consortium investigation.

Purpose: We investigated time to reach concussion diagnosis and recovery milestones in collegiate athletes relative to their schools' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) classification.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 849 (43.1% female) concussion cases from 11 NCAA institutions (Division I Power 5 [ = 4], Division I Non-Power 5 [ = 4], and Division II/III [ = 3]) from the 2015-16 to 2019-20 athletic seasons.

Physical activity and recovery following concussion in collegiate athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS Consortium Investigation.

Objective: To investigate whether routine daily activities (RDA), non-prescribed exercise (Non-ERx), or prescribed exercise (ERx) were associated with recovery from sport-related concussion (SRC) in collegiate athletes.

Materials And Methods: Data for this cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of collegiate athletes diagnosed with SRC ( = 285[39.6% female], age = 19.

Access to athletic trainers and sex as modifiers of time to reach clinical milestones after sport-related concussion in collegiate athletes.

Objective: Investigate whether an athlete's biological sex and exposure to a dedicated athletic trainer (AT) were related to clinical milestones after a sports-related concussion (SRC).

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: Medical charts of collegiate athletes ( = 196 [70.

Sport Type and Risk of Subsequent Injury in Collegiate Athletes Following Concussion: a LIMBIC MATARS Consortium Investigation.

Objective: To investigate the association between sport type (collision, contact, non-contact) and subsequent injury risk following concussion in collegiate athletes.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective chart review of 248 collegiate athletes with diagnosed concussions (age: 20.0 ± 1.

False-Positive Rates, Risk Factors, and Interpretations of the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening in Collegiate Athletes.

Context: Biological sex and history of motion sickness are known modifiers associated with a false-positive baseline Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS). However, other factors may be associated with a false-positive VOMS in collegiate athletes.

Objective: To identify contributing factors to false-positive VOMS assessments using population-specific criteria.

Concussion: Beyond the Cascade.

Sport concussion affects millions of athletes each year at all levels of sport. Increasing evidence demonstrates clinical and physiological recovery are becoming more divergent definitions, as evidenced by several studies examining blood-based biomarkers of inflammation and imaging studies of the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies have shown elevated microglial activation in the CNS in active and retired American football players, as well as in active collegiate athletes who were diagnosed with a concussion and returned to sport.

The Effect of Exercise on a Novel Dual-Task Assessment for Sport Concussion.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of exercise on cognitive and motor performance and the subsequent test-retest reliability of a novel dual-task (DT) assessment in nonconcussed college students.

Methods: Sixty nonconcussed college students (53.3% female) with an average age (±SD) of 20.

Microglial activation persists beyond clinical recovery following sport concussion in collegiate athletes.

Introduction: In concussion, clinical and physiological recovery are increasingly recognized as diverging definitions. This study investigated whether central microglial activation persisted in participants with concussion after receiving an unrestricted return-to-play (uRTP) designation using [F]DPA-714 PET, an marker of microglia activation.

Methods: Eight (5 M, 3 F) current athletes with concussion (Group 1) and 10 (5 M, 5 F) healthy collegiate students (Group 2) were enrolled.

An Absence of Persistent Postural Stability Deficits Following a Sport Concussion in Collegiate Athletes.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine whether persistent postural stability deficits exist in athletes following sport concussion (SC) in comparison with preinjury (baseline) values using Sample Entropy (SampEn).

Setting: Sports medicine clinic.

Patients Or Other Participants: Participants consisted of 71 collegiate athletes (44 male, 27 female) with an average age of 19.

Neuropsychological and Balance Symptoms of Abused Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence-Related Strangulation: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health crisis that results in acute and long-term health consequences for women, including potential acquired brain injury from non-fatal strangulation. Despite existing evidence on the neuropsychological sequelae experienced by women after experiencing IPV-related assault, limited evidence-based treatment protocols exist for these women. This 14-month study sought to: 1) assess the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting women who experienced strangulation associated with IPV within 7 days of the event and retaining them throughout a 3-month follow-up period; and 2) examine preliminary data from neuropsychological, balance, and symptom assessments.

Kinesiophobia Is Related to Acute Musculoskeletal Injury Incidence Following Concussion.

Context: Athletes with a history of sport concussion (SC) have an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury (MSK); however, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be determined. The purpose of our study was to evaluate kinesiophobia in college athletes with or without a time-loss MSK within 180 days of unrestricted return to play following a SC.

Design: This was a retrospective cohort study within a sports medicine facility.

Psychometric Properties of Computerized Cognitive Tools and Standard Neuropsychological Tests Used to Assess Sport Concussion: A Systematic Review.

Athletic programs are more frequently turning to computerized cognitive tools in order to increase efficiencies in concussion assessment. However, assessment using a traditional neuropsychological test battery may provide a more comprehensive and individualized evaluation. Our goal was to inform sport clinicians of the best practices for concussion assessment through a systematic literature review describing the psychometric properties of standard neuropsychological tests and computerized tools.

Concussion Assessment and Management Practices Among Irish and Canadian Athletic Therapists: An International Perspective.

Context: Certified athletic therapists in Ireland and Canada serve essential concussion assessment and management roles, but their health care practices and concussion knowledge have not been established.

Objective: To examine Irish and Canadian athletic therapist cohorts' (1) concussion knowledge, (2) current concussion assessment and management techniques across all job settings, and (3) the association of concussion assessment and management practices with years of clinical experience and highest degree attained.

Design: Cross-sectional cohort study.