Abstract
Athletes with sport-related concussions (SRC) often demonstrate deficits in postural stability. Lower cerebral blood flow in frontal cortices has been documented in athletes with symptoms after SRC, however, it is unclear if functional brain oxygenation during postural control tasks is reduced in symptomatic athletes after SRC in the same manner. We therefore compared brain oxygenation patterns in frontal cortices of symptomatic and asymptomatic athletes with SRC during postural control tasks with the hypothesis that symptomatic athletes are characterized by reduced functional brain oxygenation during postural control. 62 concussed athletes (n=31 symptomatic, n=31 asymptomatic) were investigated during four postural control tasks with eyes closed versus eyes opened conditions and stable vs. unstable surface conditions. Brain oxygenation was assessed using functional NearInfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) on frontopolar cortices of each hemisphere. Postural sway was measured by the analysis of ground reaction forces. Symptomatic athletes showed greater postural sway when compared to asymptomatic athletes during postural control, particularly during closed eyes and/or unstable surface conditions. Changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (∆HbO2) within the left hemispheric frontopolar cortex were significantly reduced in symptomatic athletes when compared to asymptomatic athletes during the eyes closed condition. A stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that self-reported post-concussion symptoms such as headaches and sadness predict decreased brain oxygenation during postural control with closed eyes. Symptomatic athletes with increased postural sway are characterized by decreased frontopolar brain oxygenation during postural control tasks, particularly during conditions with closed eyes. Because the frontopolar cortex showed to be involved in redistributing executive functions to novel task situations, we conclude that athletes with post-concussion symptoms suffer from a deficit in coordinating postural adjustments to balance control tasks with reduced sensory input.
Highlights
Concussions (/mild Traumatic Brain Injuries mTBI) may never be completely eliminated from sports, improved understanding of post-concussion sequela on the health status is necessary to prevent athletes from long-term impairments
Lower cerebral blood flow in frontal cortices has been documented in athletes with symptoms after sport-related concussions (SRC), it is unclear if functional brain oxygenation during postural control tasks is reduced in symptomatic athletes after SRC in the same manner
We compared brain oxygenation patterns in frontal cortices of symptomatic and asymptomatic athletes with SRC during postural control tasks with the hypothesis that symptomatic athletes are characterized by reduced functional brain oxygenation during postural control
Summary
Concussions (/mild Traumatic Brain Injuries mTBI) may never be completely eliminated from sports, improved understanding of post-concussion sequela on the health status is necessary to prevent athletes from long-term impairments. Long-term neuropsychological (Deb et al, 1998), psychiatric (Finkbeiner et al, May) or physical impairments such as gait or posture control (Howell et al, 2017; Ingersoll and Armstrong, 1992) have been reported after sport-related concussions (SRC). The assumption that balance decrements resolve within three to five days post-injury (Guskiewicz, 2003; McCrea et al, 2003) is contrasted by studies that report longer recovery times when more sensitive measurement devices are being used (Broglio and Puetz, 2008; Ingersoll and Armstrong, 1992; Thompson et al, 4). The application of more sensitive measures of postural stability indicates that alterations of postural control after mTBI in sports might present as a long-term impairment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
