Non-contact Sport Athletes Research Articles

Prevalence and Awareness of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Among Full-Contact, Semi-contact, and Non-contact Sports Athletes in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Background The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a crucial connective tissue that links the femur to the tibia, playing a vital role in stabilizing the knee by resisting forward and rotational movements. ACL tears can occur due to both contact and non-contact sports injuries. Diagnosis and assessment typically involve the Lachman test and magnetic resonance imaging. Initial treatment focuses on reducing swelling, followed by physical therapy or surgery to restore long-term knee functionality. Objective This study aimed to assess the injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and the engagement of preventing training programs among Bahraini athletes across diverse sports. Methods A cross-sectional survey was utilized to evaluate injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and engagement in preventing training among 161 Bahraini athletes from different sports. Data were collected through a detailed questionnaire addressing demographics, sports involvement, ACL injury history, and preventive training. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-tests to compare knowledge across sports types. A chi-square test was performed to examine correlations between injury history and training. Results The results showed that athletes in full-contact sports exhibited significantly higher ACL injury awareness compared to those in semi-contact and non-contact sports. Furthermore, a higher percentage of athletes in semi-contact and non-contact sports reported a history of ACL injuries when compared to those in full-contact sports. However, there was no significant difference in the engagement of preventive exercise training across different sports categories. Conclusion A notable gap in ACL injury awareness exists among Bahraini athletes, varying significantly across sport types. The data highlight the need for customized educational programs catering to different sports.

Concussion-Related Biomarker Variations in Retired Rugby Players and Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Risk: The UK Rugby Health Study.

The health and well-being of retired rugby union and league players, particularly regarding the long-term effects of concussions, are of major concern. Concussion has been identified as a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), in athletes engaged in contact sports. This study aimed to assess differences in specific biomarkers between UK-based retired rugby players with a history of concussion and a non-contact sports group, focusing on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's, ALS, and CTE. We randomly selected a sample of male retired rugby or non-contact sport athletes (n = 56). The mean age was 41.84 ± 6.44, and the mean years since retirement from the sport was 7.76 ± 6.69 for participants with a history of substantial concussions (>5 concussions in their career) (n = 30). The mean age was 45.75 ± 11.52, and the mean years since retirement was 6.75 ± 4.64 for the healthy controls (n = 26). Serum biomarkers (t-tau, RBP-4, SAA, Nf-L, and retinol), plasma cytokines, and biomarkers associated with serum-derived exosomes (Aβ42, p-tau181, p-tau217, and p-tau231) were analyzed using validated commercial ELISA assays. The results of the selected biomarkers were compared between the two groups. Biomarkers including t-tau and p-tau181 were significantly elevated in the history of the substantial concussion group compared to the non-contact sports group (t-tau: p < 0.01; p-tau181: p < 0.05). Although between-group differences in p-tau217, p-tau231, SAA, Nf-L, retinol, and Aβ42 were not significantly different, there was a trend for higher levels of Aβ42, p-tau217, and p-tau231 in the concussed group. Interestingly, the serum-derived exosome sizes were significantly larger (p < 0.01), and serum RBP-4 levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the highly concussed group. These findings indicate that retired athletes with a history of multiple concussions during their careers have altered serum measurements of exosome size, t-tau, p-tau181, and RBP-4. These biomarkers should be explored further for the prediction of future neurodegenerative outcomes, including ALS, in those with a history of concussion.

Sports-Related Concussion in Collegiate Athletes: The Potential Benefits of Using Graded Neuropsychological Tests With High Ceilings.

Sports-related concussion management in collegiate athletes has been focused on return-to-play. However, resuming schoolwork without a gradual stepwise reintroduction contributes to symptom exacerbation, delayed recovery, and adverse academic performance. Return-to-learn guidelines are limited by a lack of sensitivity in methods monitoring cognitive function. This study evaluated 2 neuropsychological tests, the Sternberg test and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), with high ceilings for sensitivity to deficits in speed of information processing, cognitive efficiency, and complex attention. Academic center research laboratory. We recruited 56 male and female collegiate contact and noncontact sports athletes. They were categorized into as follows: (1) nonconcussed ( n = 23; 7F, 16M); (2) chronic ( n = 21; 4F, 17M), at least 1 year from their last concussion; and (3) acute ( n = 12; 1F, 11M), within 2 weeks from concussion. Observational cohort study. The PASAT assesses complex attention. The Sternberg test examines processing speed and cognitive efficiency. Cognitive difficulty increases with progression through the tasks for both the PASAT and the Sternberg test. The mean outcome differences of the 3 groups (nonconcussed, acute, and chronic) across the 3 or 4 conditions (difficulty level) were measured with repeated-measures analysis of variance and subsequent pairwise comparison. For processing speed (Sternberg reaction time), the acute group responded slower than the chronic group on the medium ( P = .021, Bonferroni corrected) and hard difficulty tasks ( P = .030, Bonferroni corrected). For cognitive efficiency (Sternberg reaction time variability), the acute group had increased reaction time variability compared with the chronic group on the medium difficulty task ( P = .04, Bonferroni corrected). For complex attention (PASAT omissions), there was a difference between the acute and nonconcussed groups on the moderate-hard difficulty trial ( P = .023, least significant difference [LSD] corrected) and between the acute and chronic groups for hard difficulty trial ( P = .020, LSD corrected). The acute group performed worse, with progressively shorter interstimulus intervals. Neuropsychological testing without ceiling effects can capture higher-level cognitive dysfunction and and use of such tests can contribute to the understanding of how collegiate athletes are affected by SRC. Future studies can investigate optimal testing batteries that include neuropsychological testing with high ceilings and whether the pattern of performance has implications for the return-to-learn process after SRC in the college setting.

Integration of diffusion tensor imaging parameters with mesh morphing for in-depth analysis of brain white matter fibre tracts.

Averaging is commonly used for data reduction/aggregation to analyse high-dimensional MRI data, but this often leads to information loss. To address this issue, we developed a novel technique that integrates diffusion tensor metrics along the whole volume of the fibre bundle using a 3D mesh-morphing technique coupled with principal component analysis for delineating case and control groups. Brain diffusion tensor MRI scans of high school rugby union players (n = 30, age 16-18) were acquired on a 3 T MRI before and after the sports season. A non-contact sport athlete cohort with matching demographics (n = 12) was also scanned. The utility of the new method in detecting differences in diffusion tensor metrics of the right corticospinal tract between contact and non-contact sport athletes was explored. The first step was to run automated tractography on each subject's native space. A template model of the right corticospinal tract was generated and morphed into each subject's native shape and space, matching individual geometry and diffusion metric distributions with minimal information loss. The common dimension of the 20 480 diffusion metrics allowed further data aggregation using principal component analysis to cluster the case and control groups as well as visualization of diffusion metric statistics (mean, ±2 SD). Our approach of analysing the whole volume of white matter tracts led to a clear delineation between the rugby and control cohort, which was not possible with the traditional averaging method. Moreover, our approach accounts for the individual subject's variations in diffusion tensor metrics to visualize group differences in quantitative MR data. This approach may benefit future prediction models based on other quantitative MRI methods.

Elevated Autoantibodies to the GluA1 Subunit of the AMPA Receptor in Blood Indicate Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Contact Sports Athletes, Irrespective of Concussion.

To address the need for objective tests of concussion in athletes, we conducted a prospective clinical study in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes of the relationship between neurocognitive performance and blood levels of the GluA1 subunit of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor peptides and autoantibodies to GluA1. Specifically, we compared 44 contact sport athletes to 16 noncontact sport athletes, with Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), as well as blood sample collection, before the start of the season and at the end of the season. Contact sport athletes exhibited significantly elevated serum GluA1 autoantibodies at the end of season, compared with preseason levels, irrespective of whether they sustained a concussion. Noncontact sport athletes showed no change in serum GluA1 autoantibodies, and neither group showed differences in GluA1 peptides. Amongst contact-sport athletes, the 'high GluA1 autoantibody group' (≥4 ng/mL) displayed impaired reaction time, a measure of cognitive impairment, while the 'low GluA1 autoantibody group' (<4 ng/mL) displayed normal reaction time. Our results reveal that contact sport athletes are at risk for developing cognitive impairment even without sustaining a diagnosed concussion and that serum GluA1 autoantibodies provide a blood-based biomarker of this risk. This could guide future studies on the differing susceptibility to cognitive impairment in contact sport athletes and facilitate efficient allocation of resources to contact sport athletes identified as having increased risk of developing cognitive impairment.

Nigerian Athletes’ Previous Training, Practice and Current Knowledge of Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background /Aim: The public health burden of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and the need to increase the rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in communities including the world of sports cannot be overemphasized. The study aimed at assessing the level of previous training, practice and present knowledge of bystander CPR among Nigerian athletes.&#x0D; Methods: A national cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of Nigerian athletes was carried out involving 25 different sporting events. The participants at the 21st National Sports Festival that held at Delta State, Nigeria filled the questionnaire, which was continued after the festival at some of their various states. The final data was analysed with the SPSS Version 25, using both descriptive and chi-square statistics, as well as one-sample t-test. The significance level was set at P &lt; .05.&#x0D; Results: In all, 419 athletes participated in the study - 278 (66.3%) males and 141(33.7%) females with age range of 11- 49 years and mean age of 23.43 + 5.66 (SD). On average, 67.86% of the athletes had never had any previous bystander CPR training while 55.73% never practiced the procedure. Significantly more of the athletes never had CPR bystander training before this study (P = .000), as well as no previous practice (P = .0000), which did not significantly differ between contact and non-contact sports athletes. Significantly more of them had poor bystander CPR theoretical knowledge (P = .000) that did not vary significantly between contact and non-contact sports athletes, with average of only 27.23% of the athletes giving correct answers.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study has revealed significantly low previous training, practice and poor knowledge of bystander CPR among Nigerian athletes. There is urgent need for organised, sustainable bystander CPR training facilities for Nigerian athletes.

NZ-RugbyHealth Study: Current Postural Control Ability of Former Rugby Union and Non-contact Sport Players.

Players in contact sports frequently experience mild traumatic brain (concussion) injuries (TBI). While there are known disruptions to balance following acute head trauma, it is uncertain if sport-related concussion injuries have a lasting impact on postural control. To assess postural control in retired rugby players in comparison to retired non-contact sport players, and to evaluate any association with self-reported sport-related concussion history. Using a cross-sectional design, 75 players in the NZ-RugbyHealth study from three sports groups (44 ± 8years; 24 elite rugby, 30 community rugby, 21 non-contact sport) took part in this study. The SMART EquiTest® Balance Master was used to assess participant's ability to make effective use of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive information using standardised tests. Postural sway was also quantified using centre of pressure (COP) path length. The relationship among sports group, sport-related concussion history and postural control was evaluated using mixed regression models while controlling for age and body mass index. Limited significant differences in balance metrics were found between the sports groups. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) interaction indicated a relationship between COP path length and sport-related concussion history in the most challenging balance condition, such that path length increased as the number of previous sport-related concussions increased. There was some evidence for a relationship between sport-related concussion recurrence in sports players and postural stability in challenging balance conditions. There was no evidence of impaired balance ability in retired rugby players compared with non-contact sport athletes.

Contact or Collision Sport History, Repetitive Neurotrauma, and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Early to Midadulthood.

Data on the early to midlife effects of repetitive neurotrauma on patient-reported outcomes have been delimited to homogeneous samples of male athletes without comparison groups or accounting for modifying factors such as physical activity. To determine the effect of contact or collision sport participation and repetitive neurotrauma on patient-reported outcomes among early to middle-aged adults. Cross-sectional study. Research laboratory. A total of 113 adults (53 [46.9%] men, 60 [53.1%] women; age = 34.88 ± 11.80 years) in 4 groups: (1) physically inactive individuals with no repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure (NON); (2) noncontact sport athletes and nonathletes with no RHI exposure who were currently physically active (NCA); (3) former high-risk sport athletes with an RHI history who were physically active (HRS); and (4) former rugby players with prolonged RHI exposure who remained physically active. The 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Apathy Evaluation Scale-self-rated version (AES-S), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5th Edition (SCAT5) Symptom and Symptom Severity Checklist. The NON group had worse self-rated physical function than the NCA group as assessed by the SF-12 physical component summary (P = .03) and worse self-rated apathy (AES-S) and satisfaction with life (SWLS) than the NCA (P = .03 for both) and HRS groups (P = .03 and P = .040, respectively). We observed no group differences for self-rated mental health (SF-12 mental component summary; P = .26) or symptoms (SCAT5; P = .42). Career duration was not associated with any patient-reported outcomes. A history of contact or collision sport participation and career duration did not negatively affect patient-reported outcomes in physically active, early to middle-aged adults. However, physical inactivity status was negatively associated with patient-reported outcomes in these individuals in the absence of an RHI history.

Cortical thickness and neurocognitive performance in former high-level female soccer and non-contact sport athletes.

Long-term effects of playing soccer (football) on the brain structure and function of the brain are vividly debated. While some studies showed differences in neurocognitive performance and structural brain changes in retired male players, data on female players are scarce. The present study compares cortical thickness and neurocognitive performance in former high-level female soccer (SOC) and non-contact sport athletes (CON). 3 TT1-weighted 3D MPRAGE MRI was performed, and vertex-wise cortical thickness was analyzed using FreeSurfer (v. 6.0.0). Neurocognitive performance in seven domains of SOC and CON was assessed. A multivariate linear model was used to analyze interactions with respect to heading frequency and a history of concussion. SOC (n=15, mean age 38.3 ± 5.1 years) and CON (n=16, mean age 36.6 ± 5.8 years) had a similar cortical thickness and performed similarly in the neurocognitive tests except for verbal memory and psychomotor speed, where SOC performed significantly worse than CON. Moderate headers had a significantly larger cortical thickness than rare headers in the right inferior parietal region. Visual memory and cortical thickness were positively correlated in the group of frequent headers and negatively correlated in CON, but not in the other header groups. In contrast to previous reports in male soccer players, female players did not reveal cortical thinning in comparison with control athletes, whereas neurocognitive profiles of female soccer players might not significantly differ from male athletes. Small sample sizes, subjective header assessment, and the case-control study design require a cautious interpretation.

Comparison of Various Metrics of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure And Their Associations With Neurocognition in Collegiate-Aged Athletes.

Characterize the levels of various metrics of repetitive head impacts (RHI) in contact (CS) and non-contact (NCS) sport athletes and determine the extent to which they are associated with fluid cognition. Collegiate-aged athletes (n = 176) completed semi-structured interviews about participation in contact sport. RHI was operationalized based on current sport (CS/NCS), the cumulative number of years of participation, age at first exposure (AFE), and based on recently proposed traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) categories. The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery assessed fluid cognition. General linear models compared RHI metrics between CS and NCS athletes and tested associations of RHI measures with fluid cognition. CS athletes had more years of RHI exposure, higher rates of "extensive" exposure based on TES criteria, and were more likely to have AFE before age 12 relative to NCS (ps < .001). A subset of NCS athletes, however, reported prior RHI at levels categorized as being "extensive" based on TES criteria (5%), while a larger minority had AFE before 12 (34%). No adverse associations of RHI and fluid cognition were observed (ps > .05). Across all RHI metrics, more or earlier RHI was associated with better episodic memory (ps ≤ .05). Secondary analyses showed this effect was driven by women. Current results find no evidence that RHI in collegiate-aged athletes is associated with worse neurocognition. Although there was extensive overlap among RHI measures, results demonstrate that categorizing athletes based on their current sport undercounts the lifetime RHI exposure in many NCS athletes.

Longitudinal alterations in cerebral perfusion following a season of adolescent contact sport participation compared to non-contact athletes

BackgroundCerebral blood flow (CBF) change, a non-invasive marker of head injury, has yet to be thoroughly investigated as a potential consequence of repetitive head impacts (RHI) via contact sport participation in youth athletes. We examined pre-to post-season differences in relative CBF (rCBF), arterial transit time (ATT), and neurocognition between adolescent contact sport (CS; 79.4% of which were football players) and non-contact sport (NCS) athletes. MethodsAdolescent athletes (N = 57; age = 14.70 ± 1.97) completed pre- and post-season clinical assessments and neuroimaging. Brain perfusion was evaluated using an advanced 3D pseudo-continuous ASL sequence with Hadamard encoded multiple post-labeling delays. Mixed-effect models tested group-by-time interactions for rCBF, ATT, and neurocognition. ResultsA significant group-by-time interaction was observed for rCBF in a cluster consisting primarily of frontal and parietal lobe regions, with regional rCBF increasing in CS and decreasing among NCS athletes. No significant interaction was observed for ATT. A significant group-by-time interaction was observed for verbal memory and visual motor speed, with NCS athletes improving and CS athletes exhibiting lower performance from pre-to post-season in comparison. ConclusionsAlterations in rCBF and variability in cognition, not purported neurovasculature changes (measured by ATT), were observed following one season of CS participation. Further study surrounding the clinical meaningfulness of these findings, as they related to adverse long-term outcomes, is needed.

The acute effect of arousing and relaxing music on athletes’ mood: A study to identify the difference between contact and non-contact sports

The purpose of this study is to determine the acute effect of arousing and relaxing music on mood variables among contact and non-contact sports participants. This experimental study was conducted recruiting 52 male athletes from contact sports (n=26) and non-contact sports (n=26) aged range from 23 to 26 years with more than five years of experience in their sports. Participants listen to either arousing or relaxing music for 15 minutes before they complete the Brunel Mood Scale which measured their mood. Each athlete listened to both music types randomly on two consecutive dates. Data were not normally distributed (P &lt; 0.05). Hence, non-parametric tests were used to analyse the data. To analyse the effect of arousing and relaxing music on all participants, Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used, and results showed that vigour is significantly high after listening to arousing music, and tension and depression mood variables were significantly high with relaxing music (p &lt; 0.00). To find the effect of both music types on contact and non-contact sport athletes, the Mann-Whitney U test was used, and results revealed that there is a significant difference between contact and non-contact sport athletes on fatigue (p = 0.01) and confusion (p = 0.02) mood variables after listening to the arousing music. The findings indicate that there is an acute effect of music type on some mood variables among the athletes. Hence, listening to music can rapidly change athletes’ mood and music can be used to increase arousal or relax athletes during competitions. More research is needed to confirm the outcome of this study.

Neurocognitive functioning and symptoms across levels of collision and contact in male high school athletes

ObjectiveWe sought to determine whether male collision sport athletes perform worse on computerised neurocognitive assessments and report higher symptom burdens than athletes in contact (but not collision) sports and athletes...

Prevalence of Concussions and Chronic Headaches in Female Collegiate Athletes

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses concussion rates and current headaches in female soccer versus non-contact sport athletes who have progressed to higher levels of competition in college. METHODS: Soccer and non-contact sport female athletes from four universities completed questionnaires on concussion history and current headaches. RESULTS: Soccer athletes had a significantly higher rate of concussions compared to non-contact athletes (50% versus 9%, p&lt;0.0001), but there was not a significant difference in current headaches between the two groups (20% soccer; 32% non-contact). Among soccer athletes, 56% of goalkeepers, defenders, and forwards collectively reported a concussion, while only 23% of midfielders reported a concussion (p=0.03). Rates of reported headaches were significantly higher in soccer athletes with &lt;15 years of experience (38% versus 11%, p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Collegiate female soccer athletes had a higher rate of concussions versus non-contact-sport athletes, but no difference in rate of current headaches existed. Soccer athletes with &lt;15 years of experience reported higher rates of headaches.

NZ-RugbyHealth Study: Self-reported Injury Experience and Current Health of Former Rugby Union and Non-contact Sport Players

BackgroundThere is limited research on associations between playing rugby union and player health post-retirement.ObjectiveThis study investigated differences in self-reported sport injury history and current self-reported health characteristics between former New Zealand rugby and non-contact sport players with a view to identifying issues to be further investigated with stronger epidemiological research designs.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, the NZ-RugbyHealth study surveyed 470 former rugby and non-contact sport players (43.8 ± 8.1 years; 127 elite rugby, 271 community rugby, 72 non-contact sport) recruited from October 2012 to April 2014. Demographic information, engagement in sport, sport injuries, medical conditions, mood, alcohol and substance use and ratings of current health status were obtained from a self-report 58-item general health e-questionnaire. We highlighted standardised differences in means of > 0.6 and differences in relative percentages of > 1.43 for variables between groups as representing at least moderate effect sizes, and of being worthy of follow-up studies.ResultsHigher percentages of the elite rugby player group had sustained injuries of a given body-site type (e.g. neck sprain/strain, thigh bruising, hamstring strain) combination than the non-contact sports players. Higher percentages of the rugby groups reported having sustained concussion (94% for elite, 82% for community, 26% for non-contact), injuries requiring hospitalisation (73%, 46%, 25%), injuries that stopped participation in sport permanently (28%, 28%, 11%) and sport-related surgery (72%, 46%, 32%) during their playing career. Both rugby groups had a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis (37%, 18%, 6%) than non-contact athletes and community rugby players had higher levels of hazardous alcohol consumption (38%, 40%, 25%) in retirement than non-contact athletes. There was little difference between rugby players and non-contact sports athletes in self-reported mood, substance use and current physical or psychological health ratings.ConclusionsFormer rugby player groups were at higher risk than the non-contact player group for most injuries during their playing careers, and in retirement had greater prevalence of osteoarthritis and hazardous alcohol consumption. The relative youth of the groups (43.8 years on average) means that health issues that typically do not emerge until later life may not have yet manifested.

Gait Assessment in College Athletes: Do Concussion History, Symptoms, Gender, and Type of Sport Matter?

Though previous research has focused on examining the effects of concussion history using a dual-task paradigm, the influence of factors like symptoms (unrelated to concussion), gender, and type of sport on gait in college athletes is unknown. To examine the effect of concussion history, symptoms, gender, and type of sport (noncontact/limited contact/contact) individually on gait among college athletes. Exploratory cross-sectional study. Laboratory. In total, 98 varsity athletes (age, 18.3 [1.0]y; height, 1.79 [0.11]m; mass, 77.5 [19.2]kg; 27 with concussion history, 58 reported at least one symptom, 44 females; 8 played noncontact sports and 71 played contact sports) walked under single- and dual-task (walking while counting backward by 7) conditions. Not applicable. Dual-task cost (DTC; % difference between single task and dual task) of gait speed, cadence, step length and width, percentage of swing and double-support phases, symptom score, and total symptom severity score. Independent samples t tests and 1-way analysis of variance were conducted (α value = .05). Self-reported concussion history resulted in no significant differences (P > .05). Those who reported symptoms at testing time showed significantly greater DTC of step length (mean difference [MD], 2.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3% to 5.1%; P = .012), % of swing phase (MD, 1.0%; 95% CI, -0.2 to 2.1%; P = .042), and % of double-support phase (MD, 3.9%; 95% CI, 0.2% to 7.8%; P = .019). Females demonstrated significantly higher DTC of gait speed (MD, 5.3%; 95% CI, 1.3% to 9.3%; P = .005), cadence (MD, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.4% to 6.5%; P = .002), % of swing phase (MD, 1.2%; 95% CI, 0.1% to 2.3%; P = .019), and % of double-support phase (MD, 4.1%; 95% CI, 0.4% to 7.9%; P = .018). Noncontact sports athletes had significantly greater step width DTC than contact sports athletes (MD, 14.2%; 95% CI, 0.9% to 27.6%; P = .032). Reporting symptoms at testing time may influence gait under dual-task conditions. Additionally, female athletes showed more gait changes during a dual task. Sports medicine professionals should be aware that these variables, while unrelated to injury, may affect an athlete's gait upon analysis.

Different Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Exercise Indexes and Mood States Based on Sport Types, Exercise Dependency and Individual Characteristics.

Exercise indexes have been affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its related restrictions among athletes. In the present study, we investigated the exercise frequency and intensity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also current exercise dependency and mood state among non-contact individual, contact individual, and team sports athletes. A total of 1353 athletes from non-contact individual sports athletes (NCISA), contact individual sports athletes (CISA) and team sport athletes (TSA) participated; 45.4% of them were females that completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographic information, former and current exercise patterns, exercise dependency and mood states. NCISA had less exercise frequency than CISA, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and NCISA had less exercise frequency than TSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding exercise intensity, CISA had higher scores than NCISA and TSA before the COVID-19 pandemic, and CISA had more exercise intensity than TSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequency and intensity were reduced from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic in the three groups, except for TSA intensity. In addition, positive and negative mood states were correlated with exercise dependency. CISA were more discouraged and vigorous than NCISA and TSA, respectively. For NCISA, CISA, and TSA, ordinal regressions separately showed that adherence to quarantine and exercise dependency were better predictors of exercise indexes. Finally, exercise dependency subscales were different among sports, but it was not in exercise dependency itself. Although the decrease in exercise indexes was noticeable, there was no consistent pattern of change in exercise behavior in all sports. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, negative moods were predominant among all athletes. The results discussed are based on exercise nonparticipating, sport type, and affect regulation hypothesis.

Reader Response: Longitudinal Changes of Brain Microstructure and Function in Nonconcussed Female Rugby Players.

We read the article by Manning et al.1 with interest. Studies of professional contact-sports athletes have made clear that exposures to repetitive head impacts over decades are associated with late-life neurodegenerative dementia.2,3 It is less clear whether participation in contact sports at the amateur level results in comparable risks. The study by Manning et al. found white matter (WM) microstructural disruption—especially in the corpus callosum and impaired functional connectivity in the default mode network over time in concussion-free and asymptomatic female rugby players—using diffusion tensor (DTI) and resting-state connectivity MRI (rsMRI), respectively.1 These WM tracts are known to be disrupted as a consequence of more severe traumatic brain injuries.4 In contrast to the existing studies,5 Manning et al. assessed WM and functional changes in female athletes and noncontact sport athletes longitudinally, which is a novel and strong study design. Although the results of the Manning et al. study are compelling, they should be interpreted with caution. Although DTI and rsMRI are sensitive for identifying WM disruption, it is likely that there is substantial cognitive reserve built into brain and that these elegant imaging techniques may detect small degrees of disruption that are unlikely to result in functional limitations. Future studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up will be required to answer this important question. Finally, the DTI and rsMRI methods have several limitations, including limited availability and cumbersome image processing, which limits their usefulness for routine assessment of athletes. Future studies should include blood-based biomarkers, such as neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein, which are inexpensive and straightforward to interpret, as markers of axonal disruption. How well blood biomarkers correlate with the imaging biomarkers of axonal injury after concussive and subconcussive head impacts is a critical issue which remains to be resolved.

Prevalence of Dentofacial Injuries and Concussions Among College Athletes and Their Perceptions of Mouthguards.

The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of dento-facial injuries and concussions among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division 1 college athletes and their perceptions of mouth-guards and their protection role in injury prevention. A specific survey regarding the experiences of dento-facial injuries and concussions, attitudes towards the mouthguards, and knowledge of dental first aid was distributed to 682 NCAA division I college athletes registered at Columbia University. The independent predictor variable was sport type (contact versus noncontact). The dependent outcome variables were dental injury rate, facial injury rate, concussion rate, mouthguard use, knowledge of dental first aid. Chi-squared and independent sample tests were used for statistical analysis. The mean age of the athletes was 19.4 years (range: 17 to 22). 107 (47.6%) athletes were male. Only 62 (27.6%) athletes reported mouthguard use during gameplay. The most popular choice of mouthguard was the mouth-molded type (56.7%). Mouthguard use was significantly more prevalent among contact sport athletes (43.3% versus 1.2%; P < 0.01). Contact sport athletes were more likely to experience dental injuries (14.3% versus 0.0%; P < 0.01)., facial injuries (35.0% versus 6.2%; p < 0.01), and concussions (32.6% versus 2.4%; P < 0.01) relative to noncontact sport athletes. No significant difference was identified between contact and noncontact sport athletes with regards to knowledge of dental first aid. Contact sport athletes are significantly more inclined to suffer dento-facial injuries and concussions relative to noncontact sport athletes. Thus, mouthguard use and knowledge of dental first aid should be particularly reinforced amongst contact sport athletes.

Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes

BackgroundAdverse long-term effects of playing football due to repetitive head impact exposure on neurocognition and mental health are controversial. To date, no studies have evaluated such effects in women.AimsTo (1)...