Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cultural Normalization Of Risk?: Exploring Brain Injury In The National Football League Using Sociocultural Analysis, Ali V. Willing, Jafra D. Thomas

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The NFL's history includes the organization's fight against numerous lawsuits alleging excessive risk of brain injury to current and former players. A billion-dollar legal settlement by the NFL in 2022 illustrates the issue's gravity. PURPOSE: We aimed to understand why, culturally, the NFL has 'failed' to avert serious harm alleged by the lawsuits, given the lawsuits' magnitude and the known brain-injury risks of playing tackle football. METHODS: The NFL's rhetoric towards safety concerns and recommendations for injury prevention were examined vis-a-vis qualitative analysis of its organizational and media practices. This study was through one undergraduate end-of-term project focused …

Increasing Access Of Outpatient Therapeutic Services For Adolescents With Persistent Symptoms After Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury, Natalie J. Bales

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Persistent symptoms lasting at least 21 days after initial traumatic brain injury occur in about 15-20% of adolescents. Initial assessment of concussions can be done using the SCAT5 and a wide variety of other standardized assessment tools. However, there are striking gaps in standard clinical procedure for follow-up care for athletes who have persistent symptoms. Furthermore, there are many issues with accessibility to therapeutic services including long wait times that prevent timely referral to those services. This pilot intervention was implemented at the University of Vermont to address those issues by providing a hotline resource for families to use and …

A Novel Approach Toward Concussion Testing, Jorge K. Mercado, Ari Schacter, Danielle Euzent

Student Theses

A concussion is a violent jarring or shaking of the head caused by whiplash or direct impact that results in a disturbance of brain function. Concussions can be mild and brief, as a person may be dazed momentarily or can be more serious, resulting in a loss of consciousness. Underreporting of concussions is prevalent because they are a symptom-based diagnosis, lacking a clinical test. In this study, we investigated the use of VNG testing as a clinical diagnosis of concussions. Looking at the VNG test battery, the previous research cohort found that saccades, gaze, and positional testing are the most …

Prevalence And Differences Of Sport Concussion Symptoms And Severity Among Male And Female University Student Athletes, Tacey Howell, Kristen Mcalexander

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The prevalence of sport concussions continues to increase among university student athletes in the United States. Earlier methods of prevention, such as the Halo and modified football and hockey helmets, have not resulted in significantly fewer sport concussions. Further, even less is known about the differences between male and female university student athletes’ concussion symptoms and severity. PURPOSE: To measure sport concussion prevalence among university student athletes and compare the severity of self-reported symptoms among university male and female student athletes. METHODS: In the Fall of 2021, a modified version of the SCAT5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, 5^th Edition) …

An Exploration Of Effective Patient Education With An Emphasis On Concussion, Kayla M. Ruopp

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concussion is a prevalent healthcare issue in the US, with approximately 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions each year in all ages. A concussion can be defined as a traumatic brain injury caused by biomechanical forces. When an athlete sustains a concussion, a physiologic cascade of events occurs. The most common signs and symptoms of a concussion include: loss of balance, disorientation, headache and confusion. Concussion assessments are important in order to determine the presence of an impairment and there are a multitude of tests that clinicians can use in order to isolate each type of damage. Studies have shown …

The Impact Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk On Baseline Balance Assessment For Concussion In Collegiate Athletes, Ryan N. Moran, Nicholas G. Murray

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE: Recent literature has linked concussion and neuromuscular deficits in the lower extremity after injury. Neuromuscular control is frequently assessed using balance measures for concussion, but also dynamically to identify anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) risk via jump-landing movement screening. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ACL injury risk on baseline balance assessment for concussion. METHODS: Thirty-nine healthy, collegiate female soccer (n=22) and volleyball (n=17) athletes completed the modified-Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction of Balance (m-CTSIB) and the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) test as part of routine concussion baseline testing and injury …

King-Devick Test Score Is Linked To Cerebral Vasoreactivity During Acute Recovery Phase Post-Concussion, Madison E. Mccredie, Abigail Reichow, Mathew Stokes, Kathleen R. Bell, Sushmita Purkayastha

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The King-Devick (KD) test is a quick screening tool used to detect oculomotor and attention related brain function impairments following a concussion. Adequate cerebral blood flow (CBF) is an indicator of structural and functional integrity and impairments in CBF have been linked to cognitive deficits following concussion. Cerebral vasoreactivity (CVR), a key measure of hemodynamic reserve, is an important factor in CBFregulation. PURPOSE: To examine the association between CVR and oculomotor and attention function, using KD test scores, in collegiate athletes following a concussion. METHOD: Eighteen male and female athletes diagnosed with a sports-related concussion were enrolled in the prospective …

Impairments In Cerebral Autoregulation Is Associated With Postural Control In Sports Related Concussion, Abigail L. Reichow, Madison Mccredie, Mathew Stokes, Kathleen R. Bell, Sushmita Purkayastha

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Global and regional deficits in cerebral blood flow are reported with concussions, a major public health concern, with approximately 3.8 million incidences occurring annually in the United States alone. Recent studies have identified an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries in athletes upon return-to-play. Complexity index is a sensitive marker of postural control, with low complexity index indicating a poor physiological adaptation to stress. PURPOSE: Twofold; 1. Examine complexity index and dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) at rest and during physical stress (rhythmic squatting) in collegiate athletes following a concussion in comparison to non-injured controls. 2. Examine the association between complexity …

Cardiac Vagal Tone Impairment Is Associated With Reduced Cerebral Blood Flow In Collegiate Athletes Following Concussion, Madeline N. Wainman, Justin Frantz, Benjamin Williams, Sydney H. Lyng, Tonia Sabo, Kathleen R. Bell Md, Sushmita Purkayastha

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) is linked to functional disturbances following concussion. Since cardiac vagal tone (an index of cardiac health) is associated with disturbances in the autonomic nervous system, deficits in CBF are likely associated with cardiac vagal tone impairment post-concussion. PURPOSE: The current study examined cardiac vagal tone and CBF on days 3, 21 and 90 following concussion in comparison to non-injured control athletes. The association between these two variables was also evaluated. METHODS: Concussed male and female collegiate athletes were evaluated day-3 (N=29), day-21 (N=25) and day-90 (N=17) post concussion and matched controls were enrolled (N=29). A …

Concussion, Kasra Sarabakhsh

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Concussions are very common, especially among young athletes and students. Most patients are encouraged to rest and avoid activities that are physically and cognitively demanding. However, there is not much education regarding alcohol use after a concussion and its detrimental effects on brain recovery.

Current Concussion Education Practices In Ncaa Member Institutions: A Descriptive Study, Samuel E. Johnson Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To investigate concussion education implementation methods in NCAA member institutions.

Methods: Of the 1,078 athletic trainers across all NCAA Divisions that were contacted, 355 were included in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Current Concussion Education Practices Questionnaire (CCEPQ). The CCEPQ consisted of four sections: demographics, concussion education questionnaire, perceived effectiveness of concussion education, and limitations/barrier to providing concussion education. Outcome frequencies were used to report survey results. Respondent division-level categorical differences across survey items were assessed with a 2X3 chi-square test of independence.

Results: Providing concussion education occurs in 98.9% of NCAA member institutions. Educating student …

High School Football Players Underreport Head Injuries: A Descriptive Comparative Study, Hillary Mn Oaks

Master of Science in Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Projects

Introduction: Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (MTBIs) are some of the most common injuries that occur in the adolescent athlete population, and yet experts believe that MTBI’s are underreported. Most state athletic organizations require annual Pre-Participation Examinations in order to participate in high school sports. The purpose of this study was to research the effectiveness of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Pre-Participation Exam (OHSAA PPE) form in eliciting previous MTBIs.

Method: A descriptive, correlational study was conducted with 43 high school football players at a mass-screening event.

Results: There was a statistically significant underreporting of MTBI’s on …

Concussion Management In Primary Care, James Levins

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Concussion awareness is a hot topic in youth sports, resulting in increased health care visits. There has been much change in concussion management over the past decade. VT passed a law (Act 68) implementing a concussion management program in schools. Not all primary care physicians are aware of how this law may affect their practice, nor are they all aware of some of the recent changes in concussion management. Improper concussion management can lead to prolonged symptoms, recurrent injuries and long-term sequelae.