Publications by authors named "Joseph Congeni"

Objective: To determine whether an investigational head-neck cooling device, Pro2cool, can better reduce symptom severity compared with standard postconcussion care in early adolescent athletes after a sports-related concussion.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal, randomized trial design conducted over a 28-day period.

Setting: Six pediatric medical centers in Ohio and Michigan.

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Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of head and neck cooling when applied up to 8 days after concussion among adolescent athletes.

Design: A randomized nonblinded pilot trial.

Setting: Sports Medicine Clinic in a tertiary hospital.

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Background: Dizziness is often reported after a sports-related concussion. Forces experienced at the time of the concussion can cause an injury to multiple anatomical areas, including the central nervous system, the vestibular system, and the cervical spine, each of which is sufficient to cause dizziness. Medical professionals routinely use the subjective history to develop hypotheses about what may be causing a patient's dizziness.

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Background: Adherence to rehabilitation is widely accepted as vital for recovery and return to play following sports injuries. Medical management of concussion is centered around physical and cognitive rest, a theory largely based on expert opinion, not empirical evidence. Current research on this topic focuses on factors that are predictive of adherence to rehabilitation, but fails to examine if patient adherence leads to a better outcome.

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Baseball and softball are among the most popular and safest sports in which children and adolescents participate. Nevertheless, traumatic and overuse injuries occur regularly, including occasional catastrophic injury and even death. Safety of the athlete is a constant focus of attention among those responsible for modifying rules.

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Increasing awareness and understanding of the implications of concussion have shaped a more proactive management approach to this problem. Although the incidence of brain injuries in adolescent athletes is probably in the range of 1.6 to 3.

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The dietary supplements androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenediol are precursors in the endogenous production of testosterone. The efficacy and safety of these prohormones are not well established but are promoted to have the same androgenic effects on building muscle mass and strength as anabolic-androgenic steroids. Studies have demonstrated repeatedly that acute and long-term administration of these oral testosterone precursors does not effectively increase serum testosterone levels and fails to produce any significant changes in lean body mass, muscle strength, or performance improvement compared with placebo.

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The "win at all costs" mentality fuels athletes to seek performance-enhancing substances, such as anabolic-androgenic steroids, to gain an advantage over their opponents. Nonathletes espouse this same attitude to "win" the battle of attractiveness. An enhanced understanding of anabolic-androgenic steroids and the motivations behind their abuse will arm pediatricians with the ability to engage their patients in a balanced discussion of the benefits and costly risks of anabolic-androgenic steroids and successfully deter further use.

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Spondylolysis is common among young athletes and should be suspected in any young athlete presenting with low back pain that persists for more than a few weeks. Diagnostic evaluation typically includes plain radiographs followed by more sensitive modalities, including single-photon emission CT, CT, or MRI. There is no consensus on the most appropriate protocol for diagnostic evaluation.

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Objective: To assess young male athletes' understanding of the need for a genital examination during the sports physical, their knowledge of signs and symptoms of serious testicular pathology, and the type of genital protection they wear for specific sports. Additionally, to identify common sport-specific genital injuries requiring emergency department treatment.

Design: Descriptive survey.

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Background: Spondylolysis defects detected by nuclear scintigraphy but not by plain radiographs represent early lesions. Functional outcome and eventual bony union of these defects are unknown.

Hypothesis: Defects with greater degree of healing shortly after treatment will proceed to full bony union and better long-term functional outcome.

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Objective: To identify the prevalence of head injuries and related symptoms among college athletes and examine knowledge of head injury consequences and behavioral tendencies of athletes in the presence of symptoms.

Design: Retrospective survey.

Participants: A total of 461 male and female athletes beginning competitive play at the University of Akron (Akron, OH) during the years 1995 to 2001.

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The temptation of using drugs and supplements as shortcuts to improving athletic performance or even to enhance appearance is very seductive to adolescents. This age group is often characterized by a desire for quick results and a lack of concern for future consequences. Preventing the use of drugs to enhance athletic performance is difficult even when we have good medical and scientific evidence to prove a dangerous risk-benefit ratio, such as with AASs.

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