A-02 Concussion at One-Year Post-Injury and Anxiety Do Not Predict Head Protective and Jump Landing Functional Reaction Time

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Individuals with a concussion history are more likely to sustain subsequent concussions and/or musculoskeletal injuries. Underlying mechanisms are unclear; reaction time (RT) deficits associated with anxiety may play an important role. The primary aim of this study was to determine if anxiety and recent concussion history predict functional RT (i.e., head protective, jump landing) under single and dual-task conditions. Methods: 40 participants (concussion:healthy = 20:20; time since concussion = 11.8 months) completed the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, anxiety ratings before and after each task, and performed RT tasks. We used a virtual reality environment and motion capture laboratory to collect RTs for head protective and jump landing, respectively. Participants completed assessments under both single-task (i.e., “Focus solely on completing the task as quickly as possible”) and dual-task (i.e., “Subtract as quickly and accurately as possible as you await your visual stimulus”) conditions. Instructions gave equal weight to speed and accuracy. All RTs were calculated (ms) as the time from visual onset of stimuli to first movement ≥3 cm of hands (head protective) or sacral body (jump landing). A series of linear regression models determined if the independent variables predicted RTs. Results: Regression models did not explain a significant proportion of the variance in head protective (single- R2 = 0.05; p = 0.78; dual- R2 = 0.09; p = 0.49), or jump landing (single- R2 = 0.21; p = 0.08; dual- R2 = 0.12; p = 0.32) RTs. Conclusions: In a low anxiety sample, recent concussion history and anxiety do not predict clinical or functional reaction times at twelve-months post-concussion. If these differences exist, they are likely resolved by this time.