Kinesiology Commons^™

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 …

Evaluation Of Static And Dynamic Postural Control In Athletes With Concussions During Recovery, Nicholas Murray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Approximately seventy-six percent of individuals with a sport-related concussion present with reduced balance. Current Return-to-Play (RTP) protocols rely heavily on measures of static balance that are not environmentally relevant. However, due to the variable nature of symptom presentation, research has not clearly defined a requisite time for balance recovery following a sport-related concussion. The use of novel procedures such as monitoring postural control during an environmentally relevant dynamic balance tasks could refine the timeline for recovery of postural control and aid in mitigating the potential severe consequences of Second Impact Syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate …

Concussion Management, Education, And Return-To-Play Policies In High Schools: A Survey Of Athletic Directors, Athletic Trainers, And Coaches, Amanda Esquivel, Sadiq Haque, Patrick Keating, Stephanie Marsh, Stephen Lemos

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Background: Concussions represent 8.9% to 13.2% of all high school athletic injuries. How these injuries are managed is currently unknown.

Hypothesis: There are differences in concussion management and awareness between boys football, boys ice hockey, and boys and girls soccer.

Study Design: Descriptive epidemiologic study.

Methods: High school athletic directors were contacted via email and asked to complete an online survey with four separate sections for athletic directors, head coaches, team physicians, or certified athletic trainers.

Results: According to coaches, concussion awareness education was provided for football (97%), hockey (65%), and boys and girls soccer …

The Influence Of The Initiation Of A Graded Exercise Protocol On Dynamic Postural Stability Following A Concussion, Lauryn Hunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current post-concussion assessment tools may lack sensitivity in identifying recovery. Athletes demonstrating decreased postural control may have an increased likelihood of suffering sports-related injury. Exercise has been shown to briefly alter static postural control and the visual contribution to static postural stability deteriorates with moderate intensity exercise. Gait variability, defined as the fluctuation in gait characteristic between steps, is a sensitive measure of postural stability in populations with higher level gait disorders. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a progressive exertional return-to-play program on dynamic postural stability following a concussion. Design: Prospective longitudinal. Setting: …

Examining Articulatory Kinematics Using Diadochokinesis In Concussed And Non-Concussed Individuals, Lindsay Deann Dolan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Cognitive and communicative deficits associated with traumatic brain injury are an active area of research. However, no research to date has reported on the functionality of motor speech following a concussion. A common tool used to evaluate the motor speech status of potentially impaired individuals is the measurement of the diadochokinetic speech rate. The purpose of this study is to investigate diadochokinetic speech rates in individuals who experience a sports-related concussion. Determining the nature and extent of motor speech involvement post concussion will contribute to the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of recovery. The present investigation will determine; (i) if …

Choice Response Time Differences Between Recently Recovered Concussed And Healthy Student-Athletes, Tiffen Tapia-Lovler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States. Utilization of test batteries and exercise protocols are recommended to ensure athletes recover completely. Many batteries involve response time (RT) tests, which show response time increases post concussion. A major limitation of RT tests is that all are done in static position. Additionally, many studies show a lingering effect on RT. The addition of RT tests to check for lingering symptoms could be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to see if significant differences could be found in RT tests involving dynamic movement between healthy studentathletes …

Concussion Knowledge In Amateur Motocross, Kristina Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there are 1.6-3.8 million sports related traumatic brain injuries in the United States annually which occur in both mainstream and extreme sports. Many of these concussions have been associated with collisional sports, like football, but high risk extreme sports, like motocross, also have many opportunities for collisions to occur. Unlike traditional varsity sports motocross races, especially at the amateur level, do not require more than advanced life support at a race in case of emergency situation leaving the amateur rider to recognize and decide on concussion management. Purpose of this study …

Effects Of Soccer Headgear On Cognitive Function Immediately Following Heading, Maegan Renae Michalik

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Concussion awareness and knowledge has increased and, as a consequence, protective equipment has been developed in an attempt to protect the athletes from sustaining a concussion. The manufacturers market the equipment as a tool to prevent concussions, yet few studies have systematically tested this hypothesis. This study investigated the Full90 Headgear to determine if performance on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT 2) is impacted by the presence of headgear. Subjects performed two trials, each consisting of four different heading drills both with and without the Full90 Headgear. Subjects were evaluated prior to the heading drills with the SCAT …

Isometric Neck Strength In Concussed And Non-Concussed High School Football Players, Cameron Layne Raschke

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Football accounts for a significant portion of the 1.275 million concussions per year. Neck strength has been theorized to possibly assist in the attenuation of severe impacts and possibly prevent football-related concussions. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential differences in isometric neck strength in flexion, extension, and lateral flexion right/left between concussed high school football players and matched non-concussed football players. Sixteen high school players that suffered a football-related concussion during the 2010 competition season comprised the research group, and were later matched to a player that did not suffer a concussion, on the basis of age, …