Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive neurophysiological measure of autonomic nervous system regulation emerging in concussion research. To date, most concussion studies have focused on the university-aged athlete with no research examining healthy active youths. Corroborating changes in HRV alongside traditional subjective self-report measures (concussion symptoms) in the non-concussed state provides a foundation for interpreting change following concussion. The objectives were to (1) explore the influence of age and sex on HRV and (2) examine the relationship between HRV and baseline/pre-injury concussion symptom domains (physical, cognitive, emotional, and fatigue) in healthy youth athletes. Healthy, youth athletes 13-18 years of age [N = 294, female = 166 (56.5%), male = 128 (43.5%)] participated in this cross-sectional study. Age, sex, and concussion-like symptoms were collected as part of a baseline/pre-injury assessment. The Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory-SR13 (PCSI-SR13) was used to collect domain scores for physical, cognitive, emotional, and fatigue symptoms. HRV was collected for 24 h. HRV measures included time (SDNN, RMSSD, and pNN50) and frequency (HF, HFnu, LF, LFnu, and total power) domain HRV measures. Variables were logarithmically transformed to increase robustness of linear regression models. Older youth participants displayed significantly higher HRV compared to younger participants (p < 0.05). Females displayed significantly lower HRV compared to males (p < 0.05). A significant interaction effect between concussion-like symptoms and HRV indicated differential patterns as a function of sex (p < 0.05). Youth athletes who reported more cognitive symptoms had lower HRV (p < 0.05). HRV was found to have a significant relationship with a traditional clinical measure (subjective self-report of concussion-like symptoms) utilized in concussion assessment and management. Baseline/pre-concussion trends in HRV were significantly associated with age and sex, highlighting the value in understanding key demographic factors within the context of concussion-like symptoms.
Highlights
The study of concussion in youth athletes has received increasingly more attention over the past decade, even more so since the recent Berlin Concussion Consensus Statement highlighted their focus on pediatrics [1]
Neither sex nor age were significantly related to previous concussions or number of previous concussions
No significant differences were found across Heart rate variability (HRV) variables when comparing participants with no history of concussion to participations with a concussion history
Summary
The study of concussion in youth athletes has received increasingly more attention over the past decade, even more so since the recent Berlin Concussion Consensus Statement highlighted their focus on pediatrics [1]. A foundational first step in examining physiological measures in youth athletes following concussion is to understand natural variations present in a healthy population, alongside traditionally used clinical measures. The cardiovascular system is predominantly controlled by autonomic regulation through the activity of sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive neurophysiological measure of autonomic nervous system regulation emerging in concussion research. Most concussion studies have focused on the university-aged athlete with no research examining healthy active youths. The objectives were to [1] explore the influence of age and sex on HRV and [2] examine the relationship between HRV and baseline/pre-injury concussion symptom domains (physical, cognitive, emotional, and fatigue) in healthy youth athletes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
