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With or without past concussion, athletes had similar cognitive testing results
The study showed developmental, health problems were more independently related to symptom reporting than to concussion history.
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Cognitive tests showed similar results for high school football players who had multiple past concussions and players with no prior concussions in what investigators said is the largest study of its kind published to date.
“We are not finding evidence to suggest that having multiple prior injuries in these kids has a detectable effect on their brain and how their brain is functioning,” Brian L. Brooks, PhD, pediatric neuropsychologist and director of neuropsychology services at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Alberta, told Orthopedics Today. “This is one of several studies that our group is doing, and other groups have been doing, that show [the athletes’] thinking skills are not different if they have a history of injuries and, as well, that there are reasons besides injury as to why people could report elevated levels of post-concussive-like symptoms.”
Results
To investigate differences in cognitive function and symptom reporting among high school football players, Brooks and colleagues grouped 5,232 male adolescent football players who completed baseline testing into five groups based on injury history: participants with no prior concussions; with one prior concussion; with two prior concussions; with three prior concussions; and with four or more prior concussions. Researchers measured cognitive functioning with the FDA-cleared Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test battery (ImPACT Applications Inc.) and obtained symptom ratings from the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale.
There were no statistically significant differences regarding cognitive function between the groups of athletes based on the number of reported concussions. Researchers, however, noted the athletes with three or more prior concussions reported more symptoms than the athletes with zero concussions or one prior concussion.
Proper management needed
“The data here provide support that if there are concussive injuries in football and they are managed properly, there is not evidence to suggest that a child or an adolescent will have a poor outcome,” Brooks said. “What is key in that is we are emphasizing proper management of injuries and this comes from families, coaches, athletic trainers and health care providers, and these are all key players in making sure that children have a good outcome from the injury,” he said.
Despite the belief that athletes who report more concussions also have more symptoms, multivariate analyses showed developmental problems, such as attention or learning problems, and other health problems, including past treatment for psychiatric problems, headaches or migraines, were more independently related to symptom reporting than was concussion history.
In terms of what might predict symptom reporting, “the history of concussions is the smallest predictor variable,” Brooks said. – by Casey Tingle
- Reference:
- Brooks BL, et al. Am J Sports Med. 2016;doi:10.1177/0363546516655095.
- For more information:
- Brian L. Brooks, PhD, can be reached at 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada; email: brian.brooks@albertahealthservices.ca.
Disclosure: Brooks reports he receives royalties for sales of a pediatric forensic textbook and pediatric neuropsychological tests and previously received support (in-kind test credits) from a different computerized cognitive test publisher.