Neuro-Metabolite Changes in a Single Season of University Ice Hockey Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Previous research has shown evidence for transient neuronal loss after repetitive head impacts (RHI) as demonstrated by a decrease in -acetylaspartate (NAA). However, few studies have investigated other neuro-metabolites that may be altered in the presence of RHI; furthermore, the relationship of neuro-metabolite changes to neurocognitive outcome and potential sex differences remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to identify alterations in brain metabolites and their potential association with neurocognitive performance over time as well as to characterize sex-specific differences in response to RHI.

Sex differences in white matter alterations following repetitive subconcussive head impacts in collegiate ice hockey players.

Objective: Repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) may lead to structural, functional, and metabolic alterations of the brain. While differences between males and females have already been suggested following a concussion, whether there are sex differences following exposure to RSHI remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and to characterize sex differences following exposure to RSHI.

The Sport Concussion Education Project. A brief report on an educational initiative: from concept to curriculum.

Current research on concussion is primarily focused on injury identification and treatment. Prevention initiatives are, however, important for reducing the incidence of brain injury. This report examines the development and implementation of an interactive electronic teaching program (an e-module) that is designed specifically for concussion education within an adolescent population.

Hockey Concussion Education Project, Part 1. Susceptibility-weighted imaging study in male and female ice hockey players over a single season.

Object: Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a commonly occurring sports-related injury, especially in contact sports such as hockey. Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), which appear as small, hypointense lesions on T₂*-weighted images, can result from TBI. The authors use susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) to automatically detect small hypointensities that may be subtle signs of chronic and acute damage due to both subconcussive and concussive injury.

Hockey Concussion Education Project, Part 2. Microstructural white matter alterations in acutely concussed ice hockey players: a longitudinal free-water MRI study.

Object: Concussion is a common injury in ice hockey and a health problem for the general population. Traumatic axonal injury has been associated with concussions (also referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries), yet the pathological course that leads from injury to recovery or to long-term sequelae is still not known. This study investigated the longitudinal course of concussion by comparing diffusion MRI (dMRI) scans of the brains of ice hockey players before and after a concussion.

Hockey Concussion Education Project, Part 3. White matter microstructure in ice hockey players with a history of concussion: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Object: The aim of this study was to examine the brain's white matter microstructure by using MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in ice hockey players with a history of clinically symptomatic concussion compared with players without a history of concussion.

Methods: Sixteen players with a history of concussion (concussed group; mean age 21.7 ± 1.

A prospective study of physician-observed concussion during a varsity university hockey season: metabolic changes in ice hockey players. Part 4 of 4.

Object: Despite negative neuroimaging findings using traditional neuroimaging methods such as MRI and CT, sports-related concussions have been shown to cause neurometabolic changes in both the acute and subacute phases of head injury. However, no prospective clinical study has used an independent physician-observer design in the monitoring of these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of repetitive concussive and sub-concussive head impacts on neurometabolic concentrations in a prospective study of two Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) ice hockey teams using MR spectroscopy (MRS).

A prospective study of physician-observed concussion during a varsity university hockey season: white matter integrity in ice hockey players. Part 3 of 4.

Object: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of repetitive head impacts on white matter integrity that were sustained during 1 Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) ice hockey season, using advanced diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Methods: Twenty-five male ice hockey players between 20 and 26 years of age (mean age 22.24 ± 1.

A prospective study of physician-observed concussion during a varsity university ice hockey season: incidence and neuropsychological changes. Part 2 of 4.

Object: The primary objective of this study was to measure the incidence of concussion according to a relative number of athlete exposures among 25 male and 20 female varsity ice hockey players. The secondary objective was to present neuropsychological test results between preseason and postseason play and at 72 hours, 2 weeks, and 2 months after concussion.

Methods: Every player underwent baseline assessments using the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-2 (SCAT2), Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), and MRI.

A prospective study of concussion education in 2 junior ice hockey teams: implications for sports concussion education.

Object: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on concussion knowledge within a sample of junior fourth-tier ice hockey players.

Methods: A prospective cohort study, called the Hockey Concussion Education Project, was conducted during 1 junior ice hockey regular season (2009-2010) with 67 male fourth-tier ice hockey players (mean age 18.2 ± 1.

Return to play after an initial or recurrent concussion in a prospective study of physician-observed junior ice hockey concussions: implications for return to play after a concussion.

Object: The authors investigated return-to-play duration for initial and recurrent concussion in the same season in 2 teams of junior (16-21-year-old) ice hockey players during a regular season.

Methods: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study during 1 junior regular season (2009-2010) of 67 male fourth-tier ice hockey players (mean age 18.2 ± 1.

A prospective study of physician-observed concussions during junior ice hockey: implications for incidence rates.

Object: The objective of this study was to measure the incidence of concussion (scaled relative to number of athlete exposures) and recurrent concussion within 2 teams of fourth-tier junior ice hockey players (16-21 years old) during 1 regular season.

Methods: A prospective cohort study called the Hockey Concussion Education Project was conducted during 1 junior ice hockey regular season (2009-2010) involving 67 male fourth-tier ice hockey players (mean age 18.2 ± 1.