Publications by authors named "John Leddy"

Objective: Sport-related concussion (SRC) affects cognitive and oculomotor function. We evaluated recovery from SRC in athletes with cognitive symptoms and/or oculomotor impairments who were prescribed early aerobic exercise treatment.

Design: Secondary exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

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Purpose: To compare clinical characteristics in patients with concussions sustained by prevalent, but understudied, mechanisms (work-related concussion [WRC] and motor vehicle collision [MVC]-related concussion) to sport-related concussion (SRC).

Methods: Retrospective review of 281 electronic medical records from an outpatient concussion clinic. Time since injury (days), duration of care (days), amount of care (number of visits), and perceived health (Short-Form 12) were collected.

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Background/objective: Assessing Orthostatic Intolerance (OI, symptoms upon standing from supine) is recommended in athletes with sport-related concussions (SRCs), as this is caused by impairments in the cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (cANS). Early Exercise Intolerance (Early EI, symptoms on light physical exertion) is also due to impairments in the cANS but is difficult to incorporate into outpatient clinical practice (cost of personnel, time, equipment). The purpose of this study was to determine if we could use OI to screen for Early EI, as well as understand differences between adolescents who do and do not report OI.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how sport-related concussions (SRC) affect the cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (ANS) in adolescents, comparing those with SRC to control participants early after injury and after recovery.
  • No significant differences in heart rate variability (HRV), systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), or baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were observed between SRC athletes and controls post-injury, indicating that ANS function remains unchanged acutely after concussion.
  • Post-recovery, SRC athletes exhibited higher low frequency SBPV, and certain correlations were found between symptom severity and ANS activity; however, these differences were not significant enough to provide strong diagnostic or prognostic value.
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  • A study investigated the impact of aerobic exercise on reducing musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries in adolescent athletes recovering from sport-related concussions (SRC) within 10 days post-injury.
  • Results showed that only 5.3% of those who did aerobic exercise experienced MSK injuries, compared to 24% of those who did stretching exercises.
  • The findings suggest that aerobic exercise may aid recovery and reduce the risk of injury, potentially by enhancing various physiological functions post-concussion.
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"Return-to-play" and "return-to-learn" after a concussion are familiar concepts due to guidelines proposed by the Concussion in Sport Group and Heads-Up Initiative. The purpose of this commentary is to expand upon the current consensus guidelines for treatment of concussed children and adolescents, as well as provide guidelines for returning to physical education (RT-PE) classes. : The authors propose one general and four subtype-specific guidelines post-concussion injury.

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  • A study indicates that individualized aerobic exercise treatment within 10 days post-sport-related concussion helps adolescents recover faster and lowers the chances of ongoing post-concussive symptoms after 4 weeks.* -
  • Despite quicker recovery, the research found no significant improvement in quality of life scores (PedsQL) during the 4-week treatment period.* -
  • The PedsQL scores at the initial visit after injury were lower for adolescents with ongoing symptoms, suggesting it is a useful tool for assessing concussion severity and predicting risks for delayed recovery.*
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Objective: Approximately 20% of students with sport-related concussion (SRC) report new symptoms of anxiety and depression which may be associated with delayed recovery and increased risk for developing a mood disorder. Early prescribed aerobic exercise facilitates recovery in athletes with concussion-related exercise intolerance. We studied the effect of aerobic exercise treatment on new mood symptoms early after SRC.

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Background And Objectives: We determined inter-modality (in-person vs telemedicine examination) and inter-rater agreement for telemedicine assessments (2 different examiners) using the Telemedicine Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination (Tele-BCPE), a standardized concussion examination designed for remote use.

Methods: Patients referred for an initial evaluation for concussion were invited to participate. Participants had a brief initial assessment by the treating neurologist.

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BDNF, a neurotrophic factor, and its receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The brainstem houses many vital functions, that are also associated with signs and symptoms of mTBI, but has been understudied in mTBI animal models. We determined the extent to which neurotrophic protein and associated receptor expression is affected within the brainstem of adult rats following mTBI.

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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.

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  • The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT) evaluates exercise tolerance for youth athletes post mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but its effectiveness for adults is not well understood.
  • This study compared BCTT performance between 37 adults with mTBI and 24 uninjured controls (UC) to assess exercise tolerance and how baseline factors correlated with test duration.
  • Results showed that mTBI participants stopped the test earlier than UCs, with many experiencing symptoms like fatigue and increased discomfort, indicating the need for tailored rehabilitation strategies.*
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Objective: Pediatric athletes with concussion present with a variety of impairments on clinical assessment and require individualized treatment. The Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination is a brief, pertinent clinical assessment for individuals with concussion. The purpose of this study was to identify physical examination subtypes in pediatric athletes with concussion within 2 weeks of injury that are relevant to diagnosis and treatment.

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Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of an exercise tolerance assessment and intervention added to the Progressive Return to Activity Clinical Recommendations (PRA-CR) in acutely concussed service members (SMs).

Methods: This non-randomized, pilot trial was performed at one center. SMs in the experimental group (ERG) performed the Buffalo Concussion March-in-place Test (BCMT) at every clinic visit and were prescribed at least 20 minutes/day of targeted exercise in addition to PRA-CR.

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Purpose: Assessments of oculomotor, balance, and exercise function detect different responses to mild traumatic brain injury in sports-related mild traumatic brain injury. These assessments are understudied in the adult community mild traumatic brain injury population. We evaluated level 1 trauma center patients with nonsports-related mild traumatic brain injury on oculomotor functioning (near point of convergence and accommodation), balance (Balance Error Scoring System), and exercise tolerance (Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The 6th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport, held in Amsterdam in 2022, focused on updated evidence and recommendations for managing sport-related concussions (SRC) in children and adolescents, emphasizing prevention strategies like mouthguard use and policy changes in sports.
  • - The conference highlighted the importance of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tools (SCAT) for diagnosing concussions within the first 72 hours, and the development of comprehensive evaluation tools for longer-term assessments, known as SCOAT6 for different age groups.
  • - Recommendations include early light physical activity instead of strict rest for recovery, targeted rehabilitation for persistent symptoms, and the recognition of varying impacts of SRC across diverse populations, while pointing out the limited utility of
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  • The review talks about different types of problems people can have after a concussion, focusing on something called physiologic post-concussion disorder (PCD).
  • Headaches are very common after a concussion, and those with physiologic PCD may have headaches due to issues in how their brain and body are working.
  • The review suggests that understanding physiologic PCD better could help find ways to prevent long-lasting headaches after a concussion.
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  • Affective symptoms like anxiety are often ignored after sports-related concussions (SRC), which can lead to longer recovery times.
  • The study investigated how anxiety affects recovery in adolescents (ages 13-18) participating in a trial of aerobic exercise versus stretching post-SRC.
  • Results showed that while initial anxiety levels didn't delay symptom resolution significantly, higher anxiety over time was linked to increased concussion symptom severity, independent of the type of exercise.
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Objective: Previous research, including high-quality systematic reviews, has found that cervical injury, which often accompanies concussive head injury, can delay recovery from concussion. One pilot randomized controlled trial found that focused cervical assessment and appropriate intervention in children and young adults with persisting postconcussive symptoms (PPCS) improved recovery outcomes. Our sports medicine clinics adopted this approach early (within 2 weeks) in children (aged 10-18 years) after concussion.

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  • The 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport took place in Amsterdam from October 27-30, 2022, leading to a new consensus statement and updates on concussion protocols.
  • In preparation, author groups conducted extensive systematic reviews over 3½ years on key concussion-related topics, informing the conference discussions and outcomes.
  • The conference introduced revised tools like CRT6 and SCAT6, emphasized the importance of the para athlete's perspective, and highlighted gaps in research concerning concussion prevention and long-term effects.
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The purpose of this paper is to summarise the consensus methodology that was used to inform the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (Amsterdam 2022). Building on a Delphi process to inform the questions and outcomes from the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, the Scientific Committee identified key questions, the answers to which would help encapsulate the current science in sport-related concussion and help guide clinical practice. Over 3½ years, delayed by 2 years due to the pandemic, author groups conducted systematic reviews on each selected topic.

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Objective: To synthesise the evidence regarding the risks and benefits of physical activity (PA), prescribed aerobic exercise treatment, rest, cognitive activity and sleep during the first 14 days after sport-related concussion (SRC).

Design: Meta-analysis was performed for PA/prescribed exercise interventions and a narrative synthesis for rest, cognitive activity and sleep. Risk of bias (ROB) was determined using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and quality assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations.

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Objective: To define the time frames, measures used and modifying factors influencing recovery, return to school/learn (RTL) and return to sport (RTS) after sport-related concussion (SRC).

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: 8 databases searched through 22 March 2022.

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Objective: To develop new diagnostic criteria for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that are appropriate for use across the lifespan and in sports, civilian trauma, and military settings.

Design: Rapid evidence reviews on 12 clinical questions and Delphi method for expert consensus.

Participants: The Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Brain Injury Special Interest Group convened a Working Group of 17 members and an external interdisciplinary expert panel of 32 clinician-scientists.

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Objective: Chronic mental and physical fatigue and post-exertional malaise are the more debilitating symptoms of long COVID-19. The study objective was to explore factors contributing to exercise intolerance in long COVID-19 to guide development of new therapies. Exercise capacity data of patients referred for a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and included in a COVID-19 Survivorship Registry at one urban health center were retrospectively analyzed.

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