A-28 Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Factors Influencing Sport Concussion For Athletes with ADHD and/or LD

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Purpose: Athletes with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or Learning Disorder (LD) are at increased risk for sport concussion and require specialized attention. Although systematic reviews of ADHD/LD and concussion are reported, no meta-analyses have been conducted. Additionally, no reviews focused on the most common concussion assessment, ImPACT. Methods: Data Selection: The current review used PRISMA guidelines. Searches utilized PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Articles selected for this meta-analysis examined ADHD and/or LD (high school and collegiate athletes) using ImPACT from 2000–2021. Topics included: 1) baseline and 2) post-concussion performance on ImPACT, 3) symptom reporting using the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, 4) invalid baseline classification on ImPACT, 5) concussion rates, and 6) concussion recovery. 10,163 articles were identified. 39 were included in review and 19 were included in random-effects meta-analyses on topics 1, 3, 4, and 5. Results: Data Synthesis: Meta-analysis results found decreased baseline performance on ImPACT for athletes with ADHD (trivial to small effects), LD (small to medium effects), and ADHD/LD (small to medium effects). Increased symptom reporting was found for athletes with ADHD (small effect). Increased odds of invalid ImPACT baseline performance (trivial effect) and concussion (small effect) were found in ADHD. Conclusions: Athletes with ADHD and/or LD demonstrate differences on ImPACT in cognitive performance, symptom reporting, and concussion risk (particularly for ADHD). Most research focused on ADHD. Future work should further examine athletes with LD and co-occurring ADHD/LD as well as the effects that these conditions can have on concussion recovery, given the mixed literature in that regard.