Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive Performance In A Retired Nfl Population: Does Position Played And Racial Identity Impact Cognition?, Kimberly Chantelle Diah

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive functioning is integral to everyday life as it involves mental processes crucial to everyday survival. Over the last decade, there has been increasing focus and controversy surrounding concussions sustained by players in popular contact sports. This attention has sparked national debates that continue to polarize both the sports and scientific communities on the long-standing neuroanatomical, cognitive, and psychiatric challenges that many retired NFL players experience later in life (Alosco et al., 2017; Hart et al., 2013). While studies have been conducted on the predictors of long-term neuropsychiatric and psychosocial outcomes following a traumatic brain injury, there are few studies …

Head-Impact-Related Outcomes By Position In Retired Nfl Football Players, Maria Cecilia Boix Braga

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how repeated head-impact-related traumatic brain injury experienced by retired NFL players impacts their neuropsychological functioning, as well as whether player position was a significant factor in the impairment experienced. Participants (N=142) were selected from an archival database gathered through the NFL Concussion Settlement belonging to the Neuropsychology Assessment Center of Nova Southeastern University.

One-Sample T-Tests indicated that the combined sample and the Skilled players group demonstrated significant differences in all neuropsychological measures, while the Linemen and Skilled Linemen evidenced impairment in most areas except in visual-spatial and non-timed language measures. Two-way ANOVAs indicated player position and ethnicity …