Sports-related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Articles

Concussion in athletes.

Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is a major sports medicine issue in the current medical literature and in the popular media. Well-publicized cases of careers ended by the results of multiple concussions as well as the potential for long-term neurocognitive deficits due to multiple concussions have raised concerns. This review will discuss the epidemiology, anatomy, and physiology of concussion, as well as the clinical evaluation, grading scales, risk of chronic traumatic brain injury, and research on genetic risk factors for concussion. The main focus of this article is to review the clinical evaluation and management of concussion, including return to play criteria and use of neuropsychological testing for the practicing physician. An estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries of mild to moderate severity occur in the United States each year.' Football, ice hockey, soccer, and rugby are sports with the highest concussion prevalence. Some studies show that up to 15% of people diagnosed with MTBI experience persistent disabling symptoms.^''

Neuropsychological Test Performance Prior To and Following Sports-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

To examine the utility of neuropsychological tests in assessing college athletes prior to and following a sports-related mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). A prospective study of college athletes who sustained mTBI while engaged in sport. Preinjury baseline neuropsychological test data were obtained for athletes at risk for mTBI. Following an mTBI, the athlete and his or her matched noninjured control were evaluated at 2 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, and I month postinjury. Male and female athletes from a Division I college. Male and female athletes from the football, men's ice hockey, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's basketball teams at Penn State University. A total of 29 injured and 20 noninjured athletes participated in the study. Neuropsychological test batteries were administered at baseline and serially following mTBI. Post-Concussion Symptom Checklist, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Stroop Color-Word Test, Trail Making Test, VIGIL/W, List Learning, Digit Span, Penn State Cancellation Test, and Controlled Oral Word Association. Neuropsychological test data yielded significant differences between injured athletes and controls at 2 hours and 48 hours following cerebral concussion; injured athletes performing significantly worse than controls. Injured athletes reported a significantly greater number of postconcussion symptoms 2 hours following injury but not at the 48-hour assessment. No multivariate group differences were found at 1 week, but univariate analyses suggested significant differences on a few measures. At 1 month postinjury, a statistically significant difference was found on one measure with injured athletes marginally outperforming controls. Neuropsychological tests are useful in the detection of cognitive impairment following mTBI. The test data appear to be more effective than subjective report of symptoms in differentiating between injured and noninjured athletes at 48 hours postinjury. Although significant individual variability existed, most injured athletes recovered within 1 week of injury. A battery of tests, rather than any single test, is necessary to capture the variability that exists among injured athletes.

Traumatic Brain Injury in High School Sports

The high school playing field has become a significant area of concern in the identification of sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). This

The epidemiology of sports-related traumatic brain injuries in the United States: recent developments.

We examined recent population-based data from the National Health Interview Survey, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and state-based traumatic brain injury (TBI) surveillance programs that provide estimates of the overall incidence of sports-related TBI in the United States. Available data indicate that sports-related TBI is an important public health problem because of the large number of people who incur these injuries each year (approximately 300,000), the generally young age of patients at the time of injury (with possible long-term disability), and the potential cumulative effects of repeated injuries. The importance of this problem indicates the need for more effective prevention measures. The public health approach can guide efforts in injury prevention and control. The steps in this approach are (1) identifying the problem, (2) identifying risk factors, (3) developing and testing interventions, and (4) implementing programs and evaluating outcomes. Each of these steps requires adequate data. This article examines the limitations of current sports-related TBI data and suggests ways to improve data in order to develop more effective injury prevention strategies. The impact of sports-related TBI on the public indicates that this task deserves a high priority.

Sports-Related Recurrent Brain Injuries— United States

An estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) of mild to moderate severity, most of which can be classified as concussions (i.e., conditions of temporarily altered mental status as a result of head trauma), occur in the United States each year. The proportion of these concussions that are repeat injuries is unknown; however, there is an increased risk for subsequent TBI among persons who have had at least one previous TBI. Repeated mild brain injuries occurring over an extended period (i.e., months or years) can result in cumulative neurologic and cognitive deficits, but repeated mild brain injuries occurring within a short period (i.e., hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal. The latter phenomenon, termed "second impact syndrome", has been reported more frequently since it was first characterized in 1984. This report describes two cases of second impact syndrome and presents recommendations developed by the American Academy of Neurology to prevent recurrent brain injuries in sports and their adverse consequences.

Horseback-Riding—Associated Traumatic Brain Injuries—Oklahoma, 1992-1994

Each year, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with 52,000 deaths and accounts for one third of all injury deaths in the United States; in addition approximately 80,000 persons who survive TBI incur some loss of function, residual disability, and increased medical-care needs because of these injuries. Major causes of TBI are motor-vehicle crashes, falls, assaults, and sports and recreational activities. During 1992-1993 in Oklahoma, horseback riding was the leading cause of sports-related TBI. To further characterize horseback-riding-associated TBIs, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and CDC analyzed these injuries for 1992-1994. This report summarizes the findings of this analysis.