Musculoskeletal injury or Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) in a season of rugby union does not affect performance on concussion battery testing in university-aged student-athletes.
Academic ability
Neurocognition
Sports-related concussion
Sub-concussive impacts
Vestibular-ocular-motor (VOM) function
Journal
Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine
ISSN: 1873-1600
Titre abrégé: Phys Ther Sport
Pays: England
ID NLM: 100940513
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
28 Dec 2023
28 Dec 2023
Historique:
received:
11
09
2023
revised:
08
12
2023
accepted:
18
12
2023
medline:
6
1
2024
pubmed:
6
1
2024
entrez:
5
1
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Sub-concussive and concussive impacts sustained during contact sports such as rugby may affect neurocognitive performance, vestibular-ocular-motor function, symptom burden and academic ability. Student-athletes (n = 146) participating in rugby union British Universities or domestic competitions were assessed on the Immediate Post-Concussion and Cognitive Test, Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, vestibular-oculo-motor screening tool and revised perceived academic impact tool. Individual change from pre-season (July-September 2021) to 2-weeks following last exposure to contact (April-July 2022) was analysed. Symptom burden significantly worsened (p=0.016) over the season. Significant improvements on verbal memory (p=0.016), visual memory (p=0.008) and motor processing speed (p=0.001) suggest a possible learning effect. Surprisingly, the number of days lost to concussion significantly and positively affected performance on verbal memory (p = 0.018) and reaction time (p = 0.027). Previous concussive events significantly predicted a worsening in symptom burden (p < 0.028), as did in-season concussive events, predicting improved verbal memory (p = 0.033) and symptom burden change (p = 0.047). Baseline performance significantly affected change on several neurocognitive tests, with low-scorers showing more improvement over the season. Participation in rugby union was not associated with deleterious effects on brain function. Previous concussive events and in-season factors, possibly related to learning effects, may explain improvement in cognitive function across the season.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Sub-concussive and concussive impacts sustained during contact sports such as rugby may affect neurocognitive performance, vestibular-ocular-motor function, symptom burden and academic ability.
METHOD
METHODS
Student-athletes (n = 146) participating in rugby union British Universities or domestic competitions were assessed on the Immediate Post-Concussion and Cognitive Test, Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, vestibular-oculo-motor screening tool and revised perceived academic impact tool. Individual change from pre-season (July-September 2021) to 2-weeks following last exposure to contact (April-July 2022) was analysed.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Symptom burden significantly worsened (p=0.016) over the season. Significant improvements on verbal memory (p=0.016), visual memory (p=0.008) and motor processing speed (p=0.001) suggest a possible learning effect. Surprisingly, the number of days lost to concussion significantly and positively affected performance on verbal memory (p = 0.018) and reaction time (p = 0.027). Previous concussive events significantly predicted a worsening in symptom burden (p < 0.028), as did in-season concussive events, predicting improved verbal memory (p = 0.033) and symptom burden change (p = 0.047). Baseline performance significantly affected change on several neurocognitive tests, with low-scorers showing more improvement over the season.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Participation in rugby union was not associated with deleterious effects on brain function. Previous concussive events and in-season factors, possibly related to learning effects, may explain improvement in cognitive function across the season.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38181564
pii: S1466-853X(23)00152-9
doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.12.005
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
137-144Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.