Study: Concussed athletes may still show impairment signs up to 2 months after injury

High school athletes may need a longer period of time to recover after a concussion than previously believed, according to a study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Researchers from the University of Oregon Department of Human Physiology examined the attention and executive function of 20 athletes measured against a 20-person control matched for age, gender and activity level, according to the abstract. They found concussed athletes showed significant executive function impairment for up to 2 months after injury and concluded that some athletes may be returning to sport too soon.

“The differences we detected may be a matter of milliseconds between a concussed person and a control subject, but as far as brain time goes that difference for a linebacker returning to competition too soon could mean the difference between another injury or successfully preparing to safely tackle an oncoming running back,” David Howell, MS, ATC, lead author and graduate student at the University of Oregon Department of Human Physiology, stated in a press release.

Howell and colleagues noted that they currently do not know the extent of concussions on a still-developing adolescent brain, as most studies have focused on college-level or adult athletes. They recommended that tests examining attention and executive function be added to assessment after a head injury.

Reference:

Howell D. Med Sci Sports Exercise. 2012;doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182814595.