Kinesiology Commons^™

Effects Of Caffeine On Measures Of Clinical Outcome And Recovery Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents, Jacob Michael Eade

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: The overarching purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on mTBI outcomes in adolescents. BACKGROUND: Adolescents who suffer an mTBI have an increased risk for neurological impairment and symptomology. Thus, it is important to elucidate modifiable lifestyle factors that have the potential to influence injury outcomes and recovery. Caffeine is a legal psychoactive compound prevalent among the adolescent population. Marketed as an ergogenic aid caffeine coincides with recreational activities where incidence of mTBI is high. However, no human study has explored the influence of caffeine consumption on mTBI pathology. It was hypothesized that …

Salivary Microrna As A Concussion Biomarker And The Implications For Athletic Trainers' Practices, Thomas Richard Campbell

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Many concussions are sustained globally each year; however, research suggests that a large number may go undiagnosed due to a reliance on subjective information from patients and limitations of current objective measures. Recently, efforts have been focused on identifying clinical biomarkers of concussions, including salivary microRNA (miRNA), to improve healthcare professionals’ concussion management practices. Even if salivary miRNA were shown to be a valid and reliable measure for managing concussions, healthcare professionals, such as athletic trainers (ATs), must be familiar with the tool and have positive attitudes toward the implementation into clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was …

Evaluating The Effects Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Level And Gender On Outcomes Of The Buffalo Concussion Bike Test, Katie Stephenson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Accurate assessment of concussion is crucial for creating a treatment plan. The Buffalo Concussion Bike Test (BCBT) is a 30-minute graded exercise protocol for a stationary bicycle. Previously this assessment has been reportedly used to screen for exercise intolerance secondary to autonomic dysfunction; however, the original purpose of the assessment was to find a sub-symptom threshold for exercise rehabilitation during concussion recovery. Starting resistance for the BCBT protocol is based solely on body mass. Other factors such as cardiorespiratory fitness level and sex have been noted to effect outcomes on similar assessments and are not considered in the BCBT …

Psychophysiological Biomarkers Of Concussion Recovery, Adam Todd Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

Each ach year a growing number of individuals report lingering deficits months-years following concussion. Persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) can negatively impact day-today activities and if left untreated may manifest in severe neurological sequelae resulting in long-term cognitive impairment or advanced neurological degeneration (i.e., CTE). Current clinical diagnostic and prognostic assessments (e.g., symptom reports and neurocognitive testing) lack the sensitivity to quantify neurological function. Accordingly, there is a critical need to identify objective biomarkers specific to PPCS to improve an individual’s quality of life and prevent severe long-term neurological dysfunction.

Psychophysiological measurements (e.g., EEG derived event-related potentials, heart rate variability, and …

The Correlation Between Acl Injury & Concussion, Brandon Michael Phillips

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Concussion (also known as mild traumatic brain injury) is a neurological injury that occurs after a blow to the head or neck area and can have affects to movement based on the severity of the injury. Mild traumatic brain injury has possible linkage to an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the impact of prior concussion on lower extremity mechanics that are associated with risk of ACL injury. A total of 11 individuals with prior history of concussion and 11 healthy individuals without prior history of concussion (56.5 months since …

The Influence Of Adhd On Concussion In Ncaa College Athletes, Brett Steven Gunn

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be associated with an increased incidence of concussion; however, no study has cross-sectionally (Aim 1) and longitudinally (Aim 2) assessed the associations of ADHD with concussion. Additionally, there is reason to expect cognitive alterations following concussion in athletes with ADHD. Further, there is currently no study that has evaluated the influence of common medications often taken to mitigate some symptoms of ADHD, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines. Therefore, we sought to longitudinally assess cognitive profiles (Aim 3) of athletes with ADHD taking medication (ADHD+Rx) and not taking medication (ADHD_uRx) at baseline, 24-48 hours …

Identification Of Chronic Postural Stability Impairments Associated With History Of Concussion, Nicholas Reilly

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Concussion is the most common form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there is a disproportionate level of understanding between the acute and chronic impairments associated with traumatic brain injury. Specifically, problems maintaining balance during standing and walking are cardinal signs of acute concussion, but the temporal extent to which postural control deficits remain following the initial injury are not well defined or understood. The purpose of the projects composing this dissertation was to examine the long-term effects of a prior history of concussion on static (i.e. standing) and dynamic (i.e. gait) postural control. To address this, healthy adults aged …

Sleep Quality And Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In Young Adults With Concussion History, Jessica Barrack

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Concussions are a growing public health concern, and emerging long-term health risks may negatively impact an individual’s quality of life. With concussions, there can be a multitude of signs and symptoms, but frequent long-term sequelae of concussions including mood disturbances (e.g. trait anxiety and depression) and sleep disturbances (e.g. difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep) are given less attention. Few clinicians address mood and sleep disturbances in their concussion assessment and management plan, potentially placing individuals at risk for prolonged disturbances beyond recovery. Purpose: To examine the relationship between sleep disturbances (sleep quality) and mood disturbances (trait anxiety and depression) …

Effects Of A Dual-Task Paradigm On Tandem Gait Performance, Courtney Angela Perry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In concussion management, a variety of cognitive and motor control tests, like the tandem gait, have been used for assessing the presence of a concussion injury at the sideline and through recovery. More recently, research suggests that introducing a secondary cognitive retention task during tandem gait (i.e., dual task) may provide a better assessment of concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine if a tandem gait test paired with a 6-digit retention is a valid and reliable tool. Participants completed three trials of both the single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) tandem gait tests, and their average (MEAN) and …

The Impact Of Impacts: Repetitive Head Impact Exposure In Canadian University Football Players, Jeffrey S. Brooks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Due to the physical nature of the game and repeated head impacts between players each play, the sport of football has one of the highest incidence rates of concussion. With nearly two million participants, this incidence rate translates to a reserved estimate of 100,000 concussions per year due to the contact nature of the sport. Injury thresholds have proven difficult to establish, so American football concussion research has shifted focus to measuring the accumulation of repetitive head impacts. As there are numerous rule differences between Canadian and American football, head impact exposure may present differently for Canadian players. Accordingly, the …

Sex-Based Differences In Concussion Outcomes Among Adolescents And Young Adults, Jacob James Michael Kay

Theses and Dissertations

Concussive injuries among youth are a serious public health concern in the United States, with increasing incidence leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify these injuries a “silent epidemic.” Though most concussions in youth resolve within a few weeks, a significant proportion (~15-20%) of individuals will experience persisting symptoms that can negatively affect important aspects of social life, as well as academic and vocational performance. Furthermore, guidelines from the most recent Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics that may modify the nature and outcomes of concussion. Biological sex is one …

Parental Perceptions Of The Risks And Rewards Of Youth Tackle Football, Laurel Whalen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, despite a high risk of injury associated with the game. The issue of sports-related concussion (SRC) in football has garnered widespread attention in both the media and in scholarly literature as a result of documentaries, movies, and popular journal articles highlighting the connection between former professional football players and the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE (McKee et al., 2013; Mez, Daneshvar, Kiernan, et al., 2017). Although some studies have identified extremely few concussions in youth football, others have reported rates of concussion (Kontos, Elbin, Fazio-Sumrock, et …

Examining The Relationship Between State Anxiety And Vestibular And Ocular Motor Impairments And Symptoms In High School Athletes With Concussion, Mallory Kathleen Mcelroy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety has been associated with vestibular and ocular motor impairment in the general population. However, there is limited research regarding the connection between the vestibular and ocular motor systems and anxiety following sport-related concussion (SRC). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare state anxiety between concussed adolescent male and female athletes with and without vestibular and ocular motor impairments and symptoms. DESIGN: Prospective, repeated measures SUBJECTS: Thirty adolescent athletes between the ages of 15-18 years, diagnosed with a SRC completed the STAI-State at initial and medical clearance clinical visit. These adolescent athletes were categorized into vestibular and ocular …

The Effect Of Napping On Sleep Quality And Quantity In Healthy And Concussed Collegiate Athletes, Katie Stephenson-Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clinicians are increasingly prescribing a regulated sleep schedule to athletes post injury; however, baseline sleep habits of collegiate athletes are unknown. Moreover, the connection between napping and sleep quality and quantity has not been studied in collegiate athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate napping behaviors and their effects on sleep quantity and quality in concussed and non-concussed collegiate athletes. In a sample of 233 non-concussed collegiate athletes, 74% (172/233) of participants reported napping. Napping was not significantly associated with sleep quantity (χ 2 (2) = .23, p = .64) or quality (χ 2 (1) = .42, …

Effect Of American Football Helmet Chin Strap Placement On Measures Of Blunt Impact, Terrie Lane Jackson

Honors Theses

Approximately 1.8 to 3.6 million concussions occur annually across all sports.3 Although concussion is prevalent and is a growing concern, the mechanism behind this brain injury is still vaguely understood. The purpose of this research was to determine if chinstrap attachment location effects standard measures of helmet performance associated with concussion. To test this, three Schutt F7 American Football Helmets were impacted at the front, side, and rear locations under two conditions (high and low chinstrap attachment). Each helmet was fitted to an anthropometric test device outfitted with a 3-2-2-2 accelerometer and impacted by a steel impactor head affixed to …

How Anxiety In Adolescent Athletes May Affect Baseline Neuropsychological Test Scores, Christopher P. Tomczyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Anxiety is highly prevalent in the adolescent population and can affect performance on cognitive tasks. As part of a concussion protocol, measuring cognitive ability through the use of baseline neuropsychological testing is recommended in the high school setting. Because of the cognitive nature of baseline testing, there is potential for anxiety to influence scores. Purpose: To examine the effects of varying levels of state and trait anxiety on a baseline computerized neurocognitive assessment in the adolescent population. Methods: 75 adolescent athletes (age:15.91±1.33, height (cm): 168.72±9.07, weight (kg): 62.97±12.04) participated in the study. Cognitive ability was measured …

The Effect Of Normal Helmet Degradation In Division I Football Players Over The Period Of One Half Of A Competitive Season, Matthew Mcmullan

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effect of normal helmet use by athletes from a Division I football team over the period of the first half of a competitive season upon the impact performance characteristics as measured by peak g values obtained through the application of the NOCSAE drop impact testing protocol. The goal of this research is to determine if one half of a season is enough time exposure to result in a significant decrease in a helmet’s performance quality. This study tracks changes in performance in overall function, as well as the function of each …

Examining Fear Of Re-Injury In High School Athletes With Sport-Related Concussion, Melissa Nicole Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent consensus statements have advocated for research on the emotional sequelae that is associated with sport-related concussion (McCrory et al., 2012). However, changes in fear of re-injury throughout SRC recovery are understudied. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to describe fear of re-injury in high school athletes with SRC, and 2) to document changes in fear of re-injury throughout SRC recovery. This study addressed several exploratory questions regarding fear of re-injury in high school athletes with SRC that pertain to identifying predictors of fear of re-injury as well as examining the relationship between fear of re-injury and locus …

Comparing Before-And After-School Neurocognitive Performance In High School Athletes- Implications For Concussion Management, Morgan Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are several factors that influence computerized neurocognitive testing performance however, one factor that has not been examined is the potential deleterious effects of cognitive fatigue from an academic school day combined with time of computerized neurocognitive testing (CNT) administration. The primary purpose of this study was to compare before-and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms in non-concussed high school student athletes. The secondary purpose of this study was to compare before-school and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms and chronotypes in non-concussed student athletes. A crossover design was used to compare before-and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms of …

Concussion Prevention Strategies: A Survey Of Division I And Division Ii Female Soccer Teams, Kori Kendall Jeffries

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to evaluate concussion prevention strategies that are being used in NCAA Division I and Division II schools, perform an investigation of cervical strengthening programs and the concussion rates associated, and determine beliefs of Certified Athletic Trainers about equipment for concussion prevention. Participants included Certified Athletic Trainer’s (ATs) employed at NCAA Division I and Division II universities in the United States, and provide services to the universities’ female soccer team. Data was collected via questionnaire e-mailed to participants through Qualtrics survey software. A prompt was sent out two weeks and four weeks following the initial …

Visually-Guided Reaching Under Varying Cognitive And Motor Demand In Young Adult Females With A History Of Concussions, Christopher James Fueger

Theses and Dissertations

Every day, vision guides one’s actions to help one successfully navigate through a complex environment. When our visual and motor systems interact efficiently, we may not fully appreciate how flawless and beneficial this process can be to our daily functioning. Yet, one’s available neural resources needed to successfully perform visually-guided movements do have limits. When an individual suffers a brain injury, such as a concussion, the available resources may be compromised. Examining the extent of this decreased resource pool requires challenging the cognitive abilities enough to observe a behavioral deficit. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term …

Biomechanics Of Concussion: The Importance Of Neck Tension, Ron Jadischke

Wayne State University Dissertations

Linear and angular velocity and acceleration of the head are typically correlated to concussion. Despite improvements in helmet performance to reduce accelerations, a corresponding reduction in the incidence of concussion has not occurred (National Football League [NFL] 1996 – present).

There is compelling research that forces on and deformation to the brain stem are related to concussion. The brain stem is the center of control for respiration, blood pressure and heart rate and is the root of most cranial nerves. Injury to the brain stem is consistent with most symptoms of concussion reported in the National Football League and the …

Peripheral Visual Motion Sensitivity In Previously Concussed, Asymptomatic Individuals, Alyssa Prangley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Individuals acquire information about self-motion from the environment which specifies actions necessary to be successful (Fajen & Matthis, 2011). However, concussed individuals demonstrate residual disturbance in execution of postural movement at 30 days post injury, depicting an impaired ability to perceive self-motion in a visually conflicting environment (Slobounov et al. 2006). The objective of this thesis was to investigate the extent to which one’s behaviours on a central field of view task are influenced by the amount and type of peripheral visual movement during a collision avoidance task, as well as to determine the additive effects of changes to …

The Effects Of A Concussion On Dynamic Stability And Cognitive Performance During Single And Dual Task Tandem Gait, Erin Lodwick

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

PURPOSE: It is estimated that between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur in the United States every year during competitive sports. To limit the risk of returning an athlete to play too soon a sensitive and reliable assessment is needed. Static balance assessments that are used currently only detect very short term balance deficits (1-3 days). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a concussion on dynamic stability and more specifically if those effects are seen to a greater degree with the addition of a secondary cognitive task. METHODS: This study used 18 Humboldt State University …

The Use Of P3b As An Indicator Of Neurophysiologic Change From Subconcussive Impacts In Football Players, Jeffrey S. Brooks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a growing appreciation in research that subconcussive impacts may affect cognitive functioning. Canadian University football players (n=45) were separated into three groups based on their position/skill (small skilled, big skilled and big unskilled). An impact measuring device (GForceTracker) was used to record the number of impacts that each player experienced in a season. Player groups were separated into two levels of impact exposure: low and high. Players completed baseline, midseason, postseason, and follow-up neurophysiological tests (four months later) to measure P3b amplitude in response to a visual oddball paradigm, and high versus low impact subgroups for each player …

The Effects Of Hypohydration On Neurocognitive, Balance, Vestibular Ocular Motor Functions And Mood State, Satoshi Iida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inconsistent findings have been observed on the impact of hydration state on cognitive functions. The isolated effect of hypohydration on neurocognitive performance, balance, vestibular ocular motor function and mood outcomes in widely used concussion assessment tools has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate how hypohydration affected the results in concussion testing batteries. A single-blind randomized crossover design was used. Thirteen healthy males (22 ± 4y, 180.9 ± 5.7cm) without history of concussion within the past six months or any condition or disease that could influence outcome measurements participated in this study. Each subject completed concussion …

The Effects Of Caffeine On Reaction Time Of Two Neurocognitive Tests, Kyle Petit

Theses and Dissertations

Context: A concussion is defined as a traumatically induced transient disturbance of the brain caused by a biomechanical force. These problematic injuries can prevent athletes from participating in physical activity for a number of days, weeks, or even months. Caffeine is known for improving mental alertness in everyday tasks and is found in many popular drinks such as, coffee, tea, energy shots, and even soda. Due to its increase in memory, mental alertness, and concentration, caffeine could potentially be utilized to improve the outcomes of post-concussion neurocognitive testing. This improvement would allow athletes to return to play before they have …

Longitudinal Examination Of Perceived Stress And Depression Symptomology In Division I Student-Athletes, Bobby Daigle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CONTEXT: Concussions are all too prevalent in amongst athletes. Concussions make up almost 5 percent of all collegiate athletic injuries. Concussions have been linked with many long lasting effects including depression and increased stress or anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally examine post-concussion depression and stress levels in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 athletes.

DESIGN: Descriptive longitudinal study.

SETTING: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate athletics.

PARTICIPANTS: Concussed and uninjured Division I collegiate athletes, ages 18-22, competing in football, women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and women’s track.

INTERVENTION(S): Participants completed the CES-D at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months …

Assessment Of Anti-Saccades Within 24 To 48 Hours Post-Concussion, Nathan D'Amico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Oculomotor control dysfunction is present in about 90% of concussed athletes, with anti-saccades being the most prominent. PURPOSE: To investigate anti-saccades, reflexive gaze deviations from a fixed point or area of interest, between NCAA Division I athletes 24 to 48 hours post-concussion (PC) and healthy, matched controls (MC). METHODS: 10 PC (4 female, 6 male; age: 18.9 ± 0.9 years) and 10 MC (4 female, 6 male; age: 18.3 ± 0.6 years) wore a monocular eye tracker (240Hz) while performing 2 trials of the 60-second WiiFit Soccer Heading game. During play, participants were instructed to not deviate their gaze …

Gait Initiation Mechanics In Concussed Varsity Athletes, Adam Harper

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Concussions are a common and potentially serious injury that affects athletes across multiple sports. More than ever concussions are now at the forefront of sport-related research.

Current research indicates that in a cohort of Canadian junior hockey players examined during the 2009-2010 season showed a rate of concussion at 36.5% of all athletic injuries (Echlin et al., 2010). This rate of concussion injury indicates that proper evaluations and examination tools are key to successful management of concussions. The objective of this study was to determine whether a functional task such as gait initiation is able to quantify stability difference following …