Objective: Concussion is a serious concern in sport, with the potential to cause short- and long-term health consequences. These concerns highlight the need for the translation of concussion management guidelines into use in real-world sports settings. This qualitative study explores community rugby players' concussion experiences as part of New Zealand Rugby's concussion management pathway.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 rugby players (35 males and 1 female; 22 played at school and 14 at club-level; mean age 19.8 ± 4.8) Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze data.
Results: Four themes were identified i) the symptom journey, ii) the role of a dedicated concussion management pathway in shaping players' experiences, iii) the influence of coaches and physiotherapists, and iv) rugby culture. Support received as part of the concussion management pathway, and from individuals who were part of players' concussion journey, deeply impacted their overall experience. However, players identified insufficient guidance while returning to school/work. At times, the sport's collective cultural values made it difficult for players to enact positive concussion management behavior.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of a defined management pathway to support players' recovery. Addressing negative aspects of rugby's collectivist culture remains critical for optimal concussion management and recovery.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2024.2376266 | DOI Listing |
Clin J Sport Med
October 2024
Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics, Children's Health Andrews Institute, Plano, Texas.
Objective: To examine differences in the presentation and management of concussion in younger children (aged 4-8 years) versus preadolescents (9-12 years) and identify factors that influence recovery time.
Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.
Setting: Pediatric sports medicine and orthopedics clinic.
J Funct Morphol Kinesiol
December 2024
Department of Exercise Science, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA.
Collision-sport athletes, such as rugby players, are at risk of sport-related concussion (SRC). Women are known to be at higher risk of SRC and may experience more severe and chronic symptomology than men. Knowledge of the factors that affect a player's disclosure of their concussive symptoms could help to inform strategies to improve compliance with reporting and management of head injuries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Sports Sci
December 2024
Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Education, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Dual-task (DT) has been shown to detect post-concussion deficits even after traditional measures returned to normal. However, previous studies were conducted in laboratory settings that were not feasible in the clinical setting. Prospective Cohort Study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCNS Neurosci Ther
December 2024
Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) frequently results in persistent cognitive, emotional, and functional impairments, closely linked to disruptions in the default mode network (DMN). Understanding the mechanisms driving these network abnormalities is critical for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Methods: This study adopted a multimodal approach, combining functional connectivity (FC) analysis, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and gene expression profiling to investigate DMN disruptions in mTBI.
Although concussion management and return to play/learn decision making focuses on reducing symptoms, there is growing interest in objective physiological approaches to treatment. Clinical and technological advancements have aided concussion management; however, the scientific study of the neurophysiology of concussion has not translated into its standard of care. This expert commentary is motivated by novel clinical applications of electroencephalographic-based neurofeedback approaches (eg, quantitative electroencephalography [QEEG]) for treating traumatic brain injury and emerging research interest in its translation for treating concussion.
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