Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T18:08:50.491Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Standard regression-based methods for measuring recovery after sport-related concussion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2005

MICHAEL McCREA
Affiliation:
Neuroscience Center, Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
WILLIAM B. BARR
Affiliation:
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York
KEVIN GUSKIEWICZ
Affiliation:
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Department of Orthopedics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
CHRISTOPHER RANDOLPH
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Loyola University Medical School, Maywood
STEPHEN W. MARSHALL
Affiliation:
Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
ROBERT CANTU
Affiliation:
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Neurosurgery Service, Emerson Hospital, Concord
JAMES A. ONATE
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Athletic Training Program, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston
JAMES P. KELLY
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver

Abstract

Clinical decision making about an athlete's return to competition after concussion is hampered by a lack of systematic methods to measure recovery. We applied standard regression-based methods to statistically measure individual rates of impairment at several time points after concussion in college football players. Postconcussive symptoms, cognitive functioning, and balance were assessed in 94 players with concussion (based on American Academy of Neurology Criteria) and 56 noninjured controls during preseason baseline testing, and immediately, 3 hr, and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days postinjury. Ninety-five percent of injured players exhibited acute concussion symptoms and impairment on cognitive or balance testing immediately after injury, which diminished to 4% who reported elevated symptoms on postinjury day 7. In addition, a small but clinically significant percentage of players who reported being symptom free by day 2 continued to be classified as impaired on the basis of objective balance and cognitive testing. These data suggest that neuropsychological testing may be of incremental utility to subjective symptom checklists in identifying the residual effects of sport-related concussion. The implementation of neuropsychological testing to detect subtle cognitive impairment is most useful once postconcussive symptoms have resolved. This management model is also supported by practical and other methodological considerations. (JINS, 2005, 11, 58–69.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 The International Neuropsychological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aubry, M., Cantu, R., Dvorak, J., Graf-Baumann, T., Johnston, K., Kelly, J.P., Lovell, M., McCrory, P., Meeuwisse, W., & Schamasch, P. (2002). Concussion in sport group. Summary and agreement statement of the first International Conference on concussion in sport, Vienna 2001. Physician and Sports Medicine, 30, 5763.Google Scholar
Barr, W.B. (2002). Neuropsychological testing for assessment of treatment effects: Methodological issues. CNS Spectrums, 7, 300306.Google Scholar
Barr, W.B. (2003). Neuropsychological testing of high school athletes. Preliminary norms and test–retest indices. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 18, 91101.Google Scholar
Barr, W.B. & McCrea, M. (2001). Sensitivity and specificity of standardized neurocognitive testing immediately following sports concussion. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 7, 693702.Google Scholar
Benton, A.L., Hamsher, K., & Sivian, A.B. (1983). Multilingual Aphasia Examination (3rd ed.). Iowa City, IA: AJA Associates.
Cantu, R.C. (1986). Guidelines for return to contact sports after a cerebral concussion. Physician and Sports Medicine, 14, 7583.Google Scholar
Cantu, R.C. (1998). Return to play guidelines after a head injury. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 17, 4560.Google Scholar
Collins, M.W., Grindel, S.H., Lovell, M.R., Dede, D.E., Moser, D.J., Phalin, B.R., Nogle, S., Wasik, M., Cordry, D., Daugherty, K.M., Sears, S.F., Nicolette, G., Indelicato, P., & McKeag, D.B. (1999). Relationship between concussion and neuropsychological performance in college athletes. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 964970.Google Scholar
Collins, M.W., Lovell, M.R., & McKeag, D.B. (1999). Current issues in managing sports-related concussion. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 22832285.Google Scholar
Collins, M.W., Field, M., Lovell, M.R., Iverson, G., Johnston, K.M., Maroon, J., & Fu, F.H. (2003). Relationship between postconcussion headache and neuropsychological test performance in high school athletes. American Journal of Sport Medicine, 31, 168173.Google Scholar
Colorado Medical Society (1991). Report of the sports medicine committee: Guidelines for the management of concussion in sports. Denver, CO: Colorado Medical Society.
Covassin, T., Swanik, C.B., & Sachs, M.L. (2003). Epidemiological considerations of concussions among intercollegiate athletes. Applied Neuropsychology, 10, 1222.Google Scholar
Dick, R. (2003). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Survellience System 2002–2003. Indianapolis, IN: NCAA.
Diggle, P.J., Liang, K.Y., & Zeger, S.L. (1994). Analysis of longitudinal data. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Echemendia, R.J. & Julian, L.J. (2001). Mild traumatic brain injury in sports: Neuropsychology's contribution to a developing field. Neuropsychological Reviews, 11, 6988.Google Scholar
Echemendia, R.J., Putukian, M., Mackin, R.S., Julian, L., & Shoss, N. (2001). Neuropsychological test performance prior to and following sports-related mild traumatic brain injury. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 11, 2331.Google Scholar
Erlanger, D., Kaushik, T., Cantu, R., Barth, J.T., Broshek, D.K., Freeman, J.R., & Webbe, F.M. (2003). Symptom-based assessment of the severity of a concussion. Journal of Neurosurgery, 98, 477484.Google Scholar
Golden, J.C. (1978). Stroop Color and Word Test. Chicago, Illinois: Stoelting Co.
Guskiewicz, K.M., McCrea, M., Marshall, S.W., Cantu, R.C., Randolph, C., Barr, W., Onate, J.A., & Kelly, J.P. (2003). Cumulative effects associated with recurrent concussion in collegiate football players: The NCAA Concussion Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 25492555.Google Scholar
Guskiewicz, K.M., Ross, S.E., & Marshall, S.W. (2001). Postural stability and neuropsychological deficits after concussion in collegiate athletes. Journal of Athletic Training, 36, 263273.Google Scholar
Guskiewicz, K.M., Weaver, N.L., Padua, D.A., & Garrett, W.E. (2000). Epidemiology of concussion in collegiate and high school football players. American Journal of Sport Medicine, 28, 642650.Google Scholar
Hinton-Bayre, A.D., Geffen, G.M., Geffen, L.B., McFarland, K.A., & Friis, P. (1999). Concussion in contact sports: Reliable change indices of impairment and recovery. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 21, 7086.Google Scholar
Kelly, J. (1999). Traumatic brain injury and concussion in sports. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 989991.Google Scholar
Kelly, J.P. & Rosenberg, J.H. (1997). Diagnosis and management of concussion in sports. Neurology, 48, 575580.Google Scholar
Lovell, M.R. & Collins, M.W. (1998). Neuropsychological assessment of the college football player. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 13, 926.Google Scholar
Lovell, M.R., Collins, M.W., Iverson, G.L., Field, M., Maroon, J.C., Cantu, R., Podell, K., Powell, J.W., Belza, M., & Fu, F.H. (2003). Recovery from mild concussion in high school athletes. Journal of Neurosurgery, 98, 296301.Google Scholar
Macciocchi, S.N., Barth, J.T., Alves, W., Rimel, R.W., & Jane, J.A. (1996). Neuropsychological functioning and recovery after mild head injury in collegiate athletes. Neurosurgery, 39, 510514.Google Scholar
Maddocks, D. & Saling, M. (1996). Neuropsychological deficits following concussion. Brain Injury, 10, 99103.Google Scholar
McCrea, M. (2001). Standardized mental status testing on the sideline after sport-related concussion. Journal of Athletic Training, 36, 274279.Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Guskiewicz, K.M., Marshall, S., Barr, W.B., Randolph, C., Cantu, R.C, Onate, J.A., Yang, J., & Kelly, J.P. (2003). Acute effects and recovery time following concussion in collegiate football players: The NCAA Concussion Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 25562563.Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Hammeke, T., Olsen, G., Leo, P., & Guskiewicz K. (2004). Unreported concussion in high school football players: Implications for prevention. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 14, 1317Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Kelly, J.P, Kluge, J., Ackley, B., & Randolph, C. (1997). Standardized assessment of concussion in football players. Neurology, 48, 586588.Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Kelly, J.P., Randolph, C., Cisler, R.A., & Berger, L. (2002). Immediate neurocognitive effects of concussion. Neurosurgery, 50, 10321042.Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Kelly, J.P., Randolph, C., Kluge, J., Bartolic, E., Finn, G., & Baxter, B. (1998). Standardized assessment of concussion: On-site mental status evaluation of the athlete. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 13, 2735.Google Scholar
McCrea, M., Randolph, C., & Kelly, J.P. (2000). The Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC): Manual for Administration, Scoring and Interpretation (2nd ed.). Waukesha, WI.
McSweeny, A.J., Naugle, R.I., & Chelune, G.J. (1993). T-scores for change: An illustration of a regression approach to depicting change in clinical neuropsychology. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 7, 300312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, J.W. & Barber-Foss, K.D. (1999). Traumatic brain injury in high school athletes. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 958963.Google Scholar
Practice Parameter (1997). The management of concussion in sports (summary statement). Report of the quality standards committee. Neurology, 48, 581585.Google Scholar
Reitan, R.M. & Wolfson, D. (1985). The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery. Tucson, AZ: Neuropsychology Press.
Riemann, B.L. & Guskiewicz, K.M. (2000). Effects of mild head injury on postural stability as measured through clinical balance testing. Journal Athletic Training, 25, 1925.Google Scholar
Riemann, B.L., Guskiewicz, K.M., & Shields, E.W. (1999). Relationship between clinical and forceplate measures of postural stability. Journal of Sports Rehabilitation, 8, 7182.Google Scholar
Rubin, D.B. (1976). Inference and missing data. Biometrika, 63, 581592.Google Scholar
Rubin, D.B. (1996). Multiple imputation after 18+ years. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 91, 473489.Google Scholar
Schafer, J.L. (1997). Analysis of incomplete multivariate data. New York, NY: Chapman and Hall.
Shapiro, A.M., Benedict, R.H., Schretlen, D., & Brandt, J. (1999). Construct and concurrent validity of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 13, 348358.Google Scholar
Smith, A. (1991). Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
SPSS (1999). SPSS Advanced Models 10.0. SPSS, Inc.
Temkin, N.R., Heaton, R.K., Grant, I., & Dikmen, S.S. (1999). Detecting significant change in neuropsychological test performance: A comparison of four models. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 5, 357369.Google Scholar
Thurman, D., Branche, C., & Sniezek, J. (1998). The epidemiology of sports-related traumatic brain injuries in the United States: recent developments. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 13, 18.Google Scholar
Vastag, B. (2002). Football brain injuries draw increased scrutiny. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287, 437439.Google Scholar