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Objective The objective of this study was to document the prevalence of post-computerized neurocognitive test (post-CNT) increases in symptoms in athletes with sport-related concussion, and to examine the effect of post-CNT symptom increases on concussion neurocognitive and vestibular/ocular motor clinical outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of medical records from a concussion specialty clinic. Two hundred and three athletes (M = 16.48 ± 1.97 years; 44% [90/203] female) completed a clinical visit for concussion within 30 days of injury (M = 7.73 ± 5.54 days). Computerized neurocognitive testing (the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing: ImPACT), the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), and the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) were the main outcome measures for the current study. Results Sixty-nine percent (141/203) of the sample did not report significant increases in PCSS scores following post-concussion CNT and were classified into a No Provocation (NO PROV) group. Thirty-one percent (62/203) of participants did report a significant increase in symptoms following post-concussion CNT and were classified into a Provocation (PROV) group. Neurocognitive performance was similar between groups. However, the PROV group reported significantly higher scores on the VOMS symptom items than the NO PROV group. Conclusions The majority of adolescent athletes can complete a post-concussion CNT without experiencing significant increases in concussion symptoms. Individuals that report symptom increases from completing a post-concussion CNT are more likely to exhibit increased vestibular/ocular motor symptoms. These findings underscore the relationship between the clinical findings from both CNT and vestibular/ocular motor measures following concussion.

Context Sex differences influence symptom presentations after sport-related concussion and may be a risk factor for certain concussion clinical profiles. Objective To examine sex differences on the Concussion Clinical Profile Screen (CP Screen) in adolescents after sport-related concussion. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting A concussion specialty clinic. Patients or Other Participants A total of 276 adolescent (age = 15.02 ± 1.43 years; girls = 152 [55%]) athletes with a recently diagnosed concussion (≤30 days). Main Outcome Measure(s) The 5 CP Screen profiles (anxiety mood, cognitive fatigue, migraine, vestibular, ocular) and 2 modifiers (neck, sleep), symptom total, and symptom severity scores were compared using a series of Mann-Whitney U tests between boys and girls. Results Girls (n = 152) scored higher than boys (n = 124) on the cognitive fatigue (U = 7160.50, z = −3.46, P = .001) and anxiety mood (U = 7059, z = −3.62, P < .001) factors but not on the migraine (U = 7768, z = −2.52, P = .01) factor. Girls also endorsed a greater number of symptoms (n = 124; U = 27233, z = −3.33, P = .001) and scored higher in symptom severity (U = 7049, z = −3.60, P < .001) than boys. Conclusions Among adolescents, symptom endorsement on the CP Screen varied based on sex, and clinicians need to be aware of these differences, especially when evaluating postconcussion presentation in the absence of baseline data.

Research examining sleep and concussion symptoms following sport-related concussion (SRC) is limited by retrospective self-report rather than objective data from wearable technology and real-time symptom report. The purpose of this study is to use actigraphy and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the relationship between sleep parameters and next day symptoms.Seventeen athletes (47.1%F) aged 12-19 (15.35+/-2.09) years (72 hours post-SRC) wore Actigraph GT3x+ to measure nighttime sleep and completed post-concussion symptom scales (PCSS) three times via mobile EMA, resulting in a range of 91-177 observations for each outcome. Generalized linear mixed models, utilizing independent variables of sleep efficiency (SE%: ratio of awake time to sleep time) and total sleep time (TST) examined the associations between nightly sleep and symptoms next-day and throughout recovery.SE% (IRR .97, 95%CI: .95, .99, P= .009) and TST (IRR .91, 95%CI: .84, .999, P = .047) were negatively associated with next day night symptoms. The negative relationship between SE% and the cognitive-migraine-fatigue (CMF) factor was significant for next day/night symptoms (P = .01), while TST was associated with symptom severity for the affective symptom factor (P = .015). Sleep was negatively associated with total symptoms and afternoon symptoms in Week 1 and total, morning, afternoon, and night symptoms in Week 2 (ps=.001-.021) of recovery.Sleep was negatively associated with symptoms the next day, especially late in the day and among CMF and emotional symptoms. The relationship between sleep and symptom burden was strongest in the subacute stage of concussion recovery, highlighting the potential importance of sleep intervention post-injury.

Objective To conduct a pilot study of caregiver ratings of therapeutic alliance and patient satisfaction outcomes between telehealth and in-person concussion clinical care in male and female adolescent athletes. Setting Outpatient neuropsychology concussion clinic. Participants Fifteen patients (aged 15.40 ± 1.35 years; 33% female) with a concussion and their accompanying caregivers (n = 15; 87% female) were randomly assigned to an in-person clinic visit and 15 patients (aged 15.13 ± 1.25 years; 40% female) with a concussion and their accompanying caregivers (n = 15; 73% female) were randomly assigned to a telehealth clinic visit. Design A prospective, randomized design. Main measures Therapeutic alliance and patient satisfaction scores. Results Therapeutic alliance scores were not significantly different for patients in the in-person or telehealth setting, and caregiver therapeutic alliance scores were significantly higher for the in-person condition than for the telehealth condition. There were no significant differences between in-person and telehealth session satisfaction scores for patients on depth, smoothness, positivity, arousal, and bad-good outcomes. Patient and caregiver satisfaction with the clinical setting was high (ie, General Endorsement). Conclusion Telehealth is feasible for assessing and interpreting clinical concussion examination, interview, and neurocognitive findings, which are perceived by patients and their caregivers to be comparable with in-person care. Positive satisfaction scores also serve to reinforce the need for healthcare providers to seek ways to actively engage with patients and their caregivers through elements of communicative skills such as active listening, building patient rapport, encouraging patient autonomy, and providing an adequate amount of time for interaction and questions. Telehealth for concussion care is increasing in implementation across health systems, and demand is likely to grow in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and advances in telehealth delivery.

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences on the Concussion Clinical Profile Screen (CP Screen) in adolescents following sport-related concussion (SRC).Cross-sectional study.A concussion specialty clinic.A total of 276 adolescent (Age=15.02 ± 1.43 yrs; Female= 152 [55%]) athletes with a recent (≤30 days) diagnosed concussion.The five CP Screen profiles (e.g., anxiety/mood, cognitive/fatigue, migraine, vestibular, ocular), and two modifiers (e.g., neck, sleep), symptom total, and symptom severity scores were compared using a series of Mann-Whitney U tests between males and females.Females (n=152) scored significantly higher than males (n=124) on the.001) factor scores, but not the migraine (U =7768, z =-2.52, p =.01) factor scores. Females also cognitive/fatigue (U = 7160.50, z = -3.46, p =.001) and anxiety/mood (U =7059, z =-3.62, p endorsed a significantly higher number of symptoms (n=124) (U = 27233, z =-3.33, p =.001) and scored higher in symptom severity (U =7049, z =-3.60, p.001) than males.Among adolescents, symptom endorsement on the CP Screen varies on the basis of gender, and clinicians need to be aware of differences especially when evaluating post-concussion presentation in the absence of baseline data.

To develop clinical cutoffs using change scores for the VOMS individual items and an overall VOMS change score that identified concussion in adolescent athletes.Change score clinical cutoffs were calculated from a sample of adolescents (13-18 years) with SRC (AUC values for VOMS item change scores ranged from .55 to .71. Optimal change score cutoffs were ≥1 for VOMS items and ≥3 for overall VOMS change score. The optimal cutoff for NPC distance was ≥3 cm. A ROC analysis revealed a three-factor model (AUC = .76) for identifying SRC that included vertical vesibular ocular reflex (VVOR), visual motion sensitivity (VMS), and NPC distance items. The AUC (.73) for the overall VOMS change score was higher than any individual VOMS AUC values.This study supports an alternate scoring approach and clinical interpretation of VOMS items involving change scores that account for pretest symptoms.

Objective: (1) To compare patient- and clinician-administered measurements of near point of convergence (NPC) distance including the percentage of patients exceeding clinical cutoffs among concussed adolescents and (2) to assess the reliability of patient- and clinician-measured NPC distances. Methods: A total of 762 patients (mean = 15.51, SD = 3.09 y) within 30 days of concussion participated. The NPC distance was measured consecutively with the patient and clinician controlling the fixation target. The differences between patient (PT) and clinician (CLIN) measurements and cases exceeding cutoffs (ie, ≥5 cm) were examined with a series of t tests and chi-square tests, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients and unbiased estimate of reliability were performed. Results: The NPC measurements were similar, t(761) = −.26, P = .79, between the PT (mean = 3.52, SD = 3.77 cm) and CLIN (mean = 3.54, SD = 3.97 cm) conditions. The number of measurements that exceeded cutoffs was similar among the PT (2.5%; 19/762) and CLIN conditions (3%; 23/762) (P = .10), and the number of measurements classified as abnormal/invalid was also similar among the PT (2.5%; 19/762) and CLIN conditions (3%; 23/762) (P = .10). There was excellent reliability between the methods (intraclass correlation coefficients = .85, unbiased estimate of reliability = .92). Conclusion: The findings support the application of this assessment in clinical settings where the clinician may not have direct contact with their patient and rely on the patient (eg, telehealth).

Context Previous researchers have examined factor structures for common concussion symptom inventories. However, they failed to discriminate between the acute ( Objective The primary purpose was to investigate the symptom factor structure of the 22-item SCAT symptom inventory in healthy, uninjured and acutely concussed high school and collegiate athletes. The secondary purpose was to document the frequency of the unique SCAT symptom inventory items. Design Case series. Setting High school and college. Patients or Other Participants A total of 1334 healthy, uninjured and 200 acutely concussed high school and collegiate athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Healthy, uninjured participants completed the SCAT symptom inventory at a single assessment. Participants in the acutely concussed sample completed the SCAT symptom inventory within 72 hours after concussion. Two separate exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) using a principal component analysis and varimax extraction method were conducted. Results A 3-factor solution accounted for 48.1% of the total variance for the healthy, uninjured sample: cognitive-fatigue (eg, feeling “in a fog” and “don't feel right”), migraine (eg, neck pain and headache), and affective (eg, more emotional and sadness) symptom factors. A 3-factor solution accounted for 55.0% of the variance for the acutely concussed sample: migraine-fatigue (eg, headache and “pressure in the head”), affective (eg, sadness and more emotional), and cognitive-ocular (eg, difficulty remembering and balance problems) symptom factors. Conclusions The inclusion of unique SCAT symptom inventory items did not alter the symptom factor structure for the healthy, uninjured sample. For the acutely concussed sample, all but 1 unique SCAT symptom inventory item (neck pain) loaded onto a factor.

The purpose of this study was to extend research on napping and sleep behaviors in collegiate athletes, and to compare nappers and non-nappers on sleep quality and duration. Methods: Current varsit...

Objective To investigate the influence of self-reported physical activity (PA) on state anxiety in athletes with concussion Method Participants were 230 athletes (mean age = 16.46, SD = 1.94; 43% female) seeking care for a concussion at a specialty clinic within 30 days of injury (M = 8.83, SD = 6.12 days). Demographic data were collected during the clinical interview: age, sex, and history of concussion, migraine, learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. Patients completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and self-reported current levels of PA; 113 participants reported rest or no physical activity (REST) and 117 reported at least minimal PA (ACTIVE). The groups were compared on demographic variables to ensure group equivalence. Independent samples t-test examined differences between groups on state anxiety scores and a chi-square with odds ratios (ORs) examined the relationship between PA groups and clinical levels of state anxiety (STAI > 40). Statistical significance for all analyses was (p Results The groups were similar on all demographic variables (p > .05). The NO PA/REST group exhibited significantly higher state anxiety scores at first clinic visit than the PA group (t (228) = 2.82, p = .005), and the NO PA/REST group was 2.26 times more likely to exhibit clinical levels of state anxiety than the PA group at first clinic visit (χ2 (1, N = 230) = 9.16, p = .002). Conclusions Anxiety that is secondary to concussive injury could be mitigated with physical activity. Healthcare providers should encourage individuals with concussion to engage in physical activity during recovery.

Objective To explore the influence of referral source on state anxiety in concussed athletes. Method One hundred thirty athletes (mean age = 16.46, SD = 1.93 yrs; 42% female) seeking care for a concussion at a specialty clinic within 30 days of injury (M = 8.83, SD = 6.12 days) were enrolled in the study. Demographic (e.g., age, sex, and history of anxiety) and referral source (e.g., emergency department/urgent care, primary care/pediatrician, and athletic trainer) information were collected, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was administered to all participants. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare STAI scores between referral groups, and a logistic regression (LR) was used to assess the relationship between referral sources and patients with and without clinical levels of state anxiety (STAI > 40). Statistical significance for all analyses was (p Results Approximately 25% (32/130) of patients reported a history of anxiety, and 46% (60/130) scored above clinical cutoffs for clinical anxiety. The referral groups did not differ on STAI scores (F(3, 130) = 1.12, p = .34), and the LR was not significant, (χ2(2, N = 130) = 3.75, p = 0.15). Conclusions History of anxiety was highly correlated with state anxiety at the first clinical visit; however, patients referred from different medical sources did not differ on clinical levels of anxiety at the first clinical visit following concussion.

Purpose To document the relationship between concussion symptoms and state anxiety in concussed adolescent athletes. Methods One hundred fifty-three concussed athletes (mean age=16.06, SD=1.62 yrs.) completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at their initial clinical visit within 30 days of injury (M=8.29, SD=6.46 days). Due to violations of normality (Shapiro-Wilk=.95), Spearman’s Rank Order correlations were conducted between STAI state scores and PCSS affective, somatic, cognitive-migraine-fatigue, and sleep clusters and total symptoms. Correlations were also conducted within sub-samples of patients seen within one week (M=3.80, SD=1.72days) and 8 – 30 days post-injury (M=13.91, SD=5.76 days). Statistical significance was set at (p Results In the total sample (n=153), STAI state scores were significantly associated with total symptoms (r=.54), and the affective (r=.53), sleep (r=.44), cognitive-migraine-fatigue (r=.47), and somatic (r=.33) symptom clusters. All significant relationships among STAI state scores and PCSS total symptoms and symptom clusters were retained for patients seen within 1 week as well as patients completing their first clinical visit 8-30 days post-concussion (p Conclusion Post-concussion endorsement of concussion symptoms increases as a function of state anxiety. Although the PCSS affective symptom cluster is not a validated measure to diagnose anxiety; these findings support the utility of the PCSS to evaluate for potentially elevated anxiety in concussed adolescent athletes.