Racial identity and concussion diagnosis and recovery trajectories in collegiate athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS investigation

OBJECTIVE

To determine if there were concussion diagnosis and recovery disparities between collegiate athletes with Black and White racial identities.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Concussion information was extracted from NCAA athlete medical files at LIMBIC MATARS member institutions from the 2015-16' to 2019-20' academic years. A total of 410 concussions from 9 institutions were included that provided all independent (i.e. racial identity of Black or White) and dependent variable information (i.e. dates of injury, diagnosis, symptom resolution, and return to sport) that were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. The sample consisted of 114 (27.8%) concussions sustained by Black athletes and 296 (72.1%) sustained by White athletes.

RESULTS

The overall sample had a median of 0 days between injury occurrence to diagnosis, 7 days to symptom resolution, and 12 days to return to sport. No significant timing differences were observed for concussion diagnosis (p = .14), symptom resolution (p = .39), or return to sport (p = 0.58) between collegiate athletes with Black versus White racial identities.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings may reflect equitable access to onsite sports medicine healthcare resources that facilitate concussion management in the collegiate sport setting. Future work should explore these associations with a larger and more diverse sample of collegiate athletes.

A-07 Initial Symptoms, Pre-Existing Emotional Factors, and Symptoms of Stress During Recovery from Concussion

Purpose: Investigate the association of initial symptoms, mechanism of concussion, and emotional state with symptoms of stress reported during recovery from concussion in high school students. Methods: Concussed High School students (n = 183) aged 13–18 were evaluated within 30 days of injury at a North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) clinic with 71% (n = 130) sport-related. Subjects completed a medical history, the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 Symptom Evaluation (PCSS), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) at initial visit. At three-month follow-up subjects completed the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). A linear regression was conducted predicting total scores on the follow up PCL-5. Predictors included initial Total PCSS Symptom Score, GAD-7, PHQ-8, sex, mechanism of injury (sport vs non-sport) and history of treatment for anxiety/depression. Results: A multiple regression model predicting participant’s total PCL-5 score at three month follow-up (R2 = 0.40, p < 0.001) included PHQ-8 (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), GAD-7 (β = 0.20, p = 0.016), history of treatment for depression (β = 0.17, p = 0.015), severity of initial symptoms (β = 0.15, p = 0.045) and mechanism of injury (β = −0.14, p = 0.018). There was no significant difference in PCL-5 scores between sport vs non-sport injury groups. Conclusions: Pre-existing depression and higher levels of self-reported anxiety and/or depression at time of injury may be associated with increased symptoms of stress during concussion recovery. Severity of initial symptoms and mechanism of injury may also be related to feelings of stress during recovery. Further investigations should include baseline measure of stress prior to injury.

A-10 Influence of Different Normative Reference Standards among Cognitively Normal Former NFL Players

Purpose: Demographic adjustments (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity) to neuropsychological tests can assist clinical interpretation and avoid false-positive diagnoses of cognitive impairment. The issue of “race” as a criterion for normative adjustment has been highlighted in recent cases among former NFL players. We examined the impact of different normative reference comparisons on neuropsychological scores among cognitively normal Black and White NFL retirees. Methods: Cognitively normal Black (n = 20) and White (n = 20) retirees were age- and education-matched. Measures of attention (Digit Span), processing speed (Coding, TMTA), memory (ROCFT, CVLT), language (FAS, Animals, BNT), and executive function (TMTB) were examined. Independent samples t-tests (using p < 0.01) were conducted between raw and normative scores of Black and White retirees that adjusted for 1) age/education (Mitrushina); 2) age/education/sex (NACC); and 3) age/education/sex/race (Heaton, MOANS/MOAANS). An additional ANCOVA evaluated group differences controlling for baseline estimated IQ. Results: Raw scores differed between groups on TMTB, Coding, and BNT. Mitrushina normative data showed differences on TMTB (p = 0.007) and BNT (p < 0.001). NACC normative data showed differences on the BNT (p < 0.001). ANCOVA (controlling for IQ) of raw scores between groups differed on the BNT (p = 0.002). Heaton and MOANS/MOAANS normative scores did not reveal differences between groups on any test. Conclusions: As expected, the use of different neuropsychological norms influences findings across different sociodemographic groups to various degrees, depending on the test. The underlying contributors to group differences using “race” as a proxy need to be disentangled and understood. Cautious use of demographically-adjusted norms as interpretive guidelines is warranted until these factors are identified.

Perceived Recovery and Self-Reported Functioning in Adolescents with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Role of Sleep, Mood, and Physical Symptoms

Purpose: To determine the contributions of anxiety, depressive, and concussion symptoms and sleep quality to self-perceived recovery in adolescents with concussion.Method: Adolescents aged 12-20 (n = 298) completed anxiety, depression, concussion symptoms, and sleep measures at an initial concussion clinic visit and three-month follow-up. At follow-up, they reported self-perceived recovery as percent back to normal.Results: Injury-related factors alone did not predict self-perceived recovery (R²_Adj =.017, p =.074). More concurrent physical, mental health, and sleep symptoms explained 18.8% additional variance in poorer self-perceived recovery (R²_Adj Change =.188, p <.05). Physical symptoms (B_stand = -.292) and anxiety (B_stand = -.260) accounted for the most variance in self-perceived recovery.Conclusion: Post-concussive symptoms, in particular anxiety and self-reported physical symptoms, seem to characterize protracted recovery. Self-perceived recovery as an outcome measure may provide a more holistic understanding of adolescents' experiences after concussion.

A-11 The Contribution of Psychological Stress to Adolescent Post-Concussive Symptoms Across Recovery

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore whether less commonly explored injury factors account for variance in post-concussive symptoms across recovery.

Method

Participants aged 12–18 (n = 440) who reported to clinic within 14 days of concussion sustained in either sport injury, MVA, fall, or hit were selected from the ConTex registry. A PCS log, PHQ-8, and GAD-7 were completed at initial visit and 3-month follow-up. Separate hierarchical linear regressions determined predictors of PCS scores at both time points. Demographic, premorbid, injury, and psychological factors were entered in Step 1–4, respectively. A sample subset completed the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) at initial (n = 58) and 3-month visits (n = 27). Exploratory analyses added the PCL-5 to determine whether post-traumatic stress symptoms contributed to the model.

Results

At initial visit, sex, post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), PHQ-8, and GAD-7 significantly predicted PCS total scores (p &lt; .001), accounting for 43% of the variance. At 3-month follow-up, PTA dropped out of the model, and psychiatric history and mechanism of injury became significant, explaining an additional 15% of the variance in PCS scores (R2 = .58, p &lt; .001). In exploratory analyses, when PCL-5 scores were added to the final models, demographic, premorbid, and injury factors did not remain significant, and the PCL-5 significantly contributed to the variance in PCS scores at both initial (p = .01) and 3-month follow-up (p &lt; .001).

Conclusions

Psychological stress and context of injury may be strong predictors of PCS in addition to demographic and premorbid factors. These findings warrant continued investigation of less explored injury factors contribution to initial mTBI presentation and recovery.

A-43 Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Sport-Related Concussion and Orthopedic Injury: An Initial Comparison

Objective

Few studies have compared psychological responses to injury following sport-related concussion versus injury in general. The aim of this pilot investigation was to explore whether trauma-related stress symptoms differ between adolescents with sport-related concussion (SRC) vs. orthopedic injury (OI).

Method

Participants age 12-18 with SRC (n=48) or OI (n=12) presented to specialty clinics in the North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) within 21 days of injury (M= 6.7). Total scores from the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) were calculated (range=0-80). Independent t-test compared PCL-5 symptom scores between SRC and OI, and post-hoc analyses examined frequency of symptoms reported within each group.

Results

There was no significant difference between mean PCL-5 scores in SRC and OI groups, and both obtained scores above the typical cutoff for PTSD, defined as scores &gt;30 (range= 0-46; SRC=10%, OI=16%). Most commonly reported symptoms for both SRC and OI were sleep problems, feeling jumpy, and being “super alert.” SRC subjects were more likely to report difficulty concentrating (SRC=42%; OI=16%), while OI subjects were more likely to report feeling distant from other people (OI=50%; SRC=20%).

Conclusions

While total post-traumatic stress symptoms may not differ between SRC and OI groups, there may be differences in individual trauma-related symptoms based upon the nature of injury. Both injury groups may be susceptible to sleep difficulties and hypervigilance, yet SRC individuals may experience more cognitive complaints, while OI may report more feelings of isolation. Furture studies will need to use the PCL-5 with larger sample sizes and recovery indices to provide a more detailed comparison of the injury groups.

A-37 Neuropsychological Functioning In Cognitively Normal And Impaired Aging NFL Retirees

Objective

Identify differences in neuropsychological (NP) functioning between older (≥ 50) National Football League (NFL) retirees and age-matched controls, and examine whether differences correlate to head-injury exposure.

Method

NFL retirees were diagnosed with normal cognition (n = 20), mild cognitive impairment (n = 19), or dementia (n = 5) using Jak and Bondi (2009) criteria and clinical consensus. Retirees were age-matched to either healthy controls (n = 18) or clinical controls with MCI (n = 21) or dementia (n = 5). MANCOVAs and partial correlations covarying for age and education compared retiree’s NP performances to controls, and examined whether differences in NP measures were correlated with number of concussions, or games and years played in the NFL.

Results

Cognitively normal (CN) retirees displayed lower processing speed, naming, and verbal memory (p’s &lt; .05) than CN controls. Impaired retirees displayed worse processing speed and naming than impaired controls, but better verbal memory (p’s &lt; .05). Only lower verbal memory performance in CN retirees significantly correlated with number of games (r = −.60) and years played (r = −.54).

Conclusions

Aging CN and impaired retirees performed worse on single measures of processing speed and naming, but their performances did not correlate to head-injury exposure. Verbal memory performance varied between CN (worse than controls) and impaired retirees (better than controls). Overall, results suggest some aging NFL players may be at risk for reduced verbal memory, but this relationship could diminish following onset of MCI. No clear dose-response relationship was observed between head-injury exposure and NP functioning. Future studies should examine longitudinal trajectories of NP performances in larger samples to elucidate these findings.

B-51 Impact of Resilience on Symptoms and Mood during Recovery in Adolescents and Young Adults Following Sports-Related Concussion

Objective

It is unclear how resilience, the ability to “bounce back” from a stressful experience, is associated with recovery following a sport-related concussion (SRC). The aim of this project is to assess how resilience is related to symptoms following SRC.

Method

Participants (N = 353) aged 12-25 were evaluated within 30 days of injury at clinics in the ConTex Concussion Registry. The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 symptom evaluation, Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), General Anxiety Disorder-7 Item (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 Item (PHQ-8) were administered at initial visit and at three-months. BRS scores were used to place subjects into low (n = 40), average (n = 214), and high (n = 99) resilience groups, with a 2 (time) by 3 (group) repeated measures ANOVA to compare symptom scales.

Results

At initial visit subjects with low resilience reported higher GAD-7 [F (2,308) = 3.95, p = .02; 95% C.I. 5.19, 7.64] and PHQ-8 [F (2,311) = 4.40, p = .01; 95% C.I. 4.76, 7.47] scores compared to average and high resilience samples and demonstrated significant interaction effects with time. Subjects with low resilience also endorsed more initial SCAT5 symptoms [F (2,350) = 3.69, p = .026, 95% C.I. 10.99, 14.18] but showed no interaction with time.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that resilience may influence mood (anxiety & depression) initially and during SRC recovery. Consideration of resilience as a pre-injury factor may be important in SRC research.

Comparing Acute Symptoms and Recovery Time Following Sports-Related Concussion Across School Age Groups

Purpose

Despite considerable research on pediatric sports-related concussion (SRC), few studies have analyzed groups from school-age through young adulthood. This study aimed to examine acute symptoms (i.e., emotional, physical, and cognitive) and recovery times across this age range.

Methods

Participants age 5–25 with SRC (n=611) presented to concussion clinics in the North Texas Concussion Registry within 2 weeks of injury. Subjects were stratified into 4 age groups: early elementary (age 5-9; n=19), late elementary (10–13; n=181), high school (14-17; n=384), and college (18-25; n=39). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 Item Scale (GAD-7), and concussion symptom log (Sx log), were administered. ANOVA was used to compare symptom scores and recovery times across groups.

Results

Differences were found on PHQ-9 scores (p=.05), with the early elementary and high school groups reporting significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than the late elementary and college groups. No differences were seen on GAD-7 scores. Differences in Sx log severity scores were nonsignificant (p=.09), although scores increased with age (early: M=21.4, late=25.7, high school=30.0, college=35.5). Lastly, recovery time differed across groups (p=.008), with early elementary participants having the longest recovery (M=8.3 days) and the college group having the shortest (M=5.1 days).

Conclusion

Older age groups reported higher levels of acute post-concussion symptoms and more rapid recovery compared to younger age groups, suggesting that symptomatology and recovery time vary developmentally and the effects of age warrant consideration in young athletes.

Resiliency and Post-Concussion Symptoms in Adolescents with Sport-Related Concussions

Purpose

Resiliency is a factor affecting an individual’s ability to “bounce back” from stressful events, including injury. A Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) may constitute a stressful event for athletes, yet the association of resiliency with symptoms following SRC is not well known. Thus, we sought to determine if a brief measure of resiliency was related to initial symptoms following SRC in adolescent athletes.

Methods

Subjects (n=458, 199 female, 259 male) aged 12–25 with SRC were evaluated within 30 days of injury (M= 8.35 days, SD=6.98) at a North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) clinic. Subjects completed the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 symptom evaluation and the Brief Resiliency Scale (BRS). Subjects were grouped into low (n=56,) average (n= 280), and high (n=122) resiliency groups according to the BRS. ANOVA was conducted to compare initial concussion symptoms across resiliency groups.

Results

Subjects with low resiliency reported a greater number of symptoms (M=12.96, SD=6.79) than those with high resiliency (M=9.47, SD=6.52; p<.005) and a higher level of symptoms (M=34.73, SD=25.90 vs M=25.11 SD=24.72; p<.02). Subjects with low resiliency also reported higher levels of emotional symptoms (Irritability, Sadness, Nervousness, and Feeling More Emotional) than those with average and high resiliency.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that low resiliency may be associated with greater symptoms following SRC. For emotional symptoms, resiliency level (low, average, high) showed a linear relationship with symptom level. However, the potential relationship between resiliency and recovery or persistence of symptoms over time remains a question.

Does Trauma Influence Post-concussive Symptom Recovery in Youth?

Objective

Minimal research has focused on youth concussions acquired in traumatic events versus non-traumatic events, despite overlap between post-concussive and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Youth sustaining a concussion during a motor vehicle accident (MVA) may endorse greater emotional and cognitive symptoms than those with sports-related concussion (SRC). This study’s aim was to compare recovery from concussion due to MVA versus SRC to determine if recovery profiles differ.

Data Selection

Participants aged 7-25 who reported to clinic within 30 days of SRC (n = 329) or MVA-related concussion (n = 67) and endorsed persistent post-concussive symptomatology (>1 month) were selected from the North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex). Data collected at initial visit and 3-month follow-up included a four-factor symptom checklist (physical, emotional, cognitive, sleep), GAD-7 for anxiety, and PHQ-8 for depression.

Data Synthesis

Repeated measures ANOVA compared longitudinal score differences. MVA and SRC groups significantly improved on all measures at follow up; however, the MVA group reported higher symptomatology on all measures at both visits (ps < .01). For all cognitive and emotional scores, a significant interaction was found (ps < .01), with the MVA group demonstrating greater improvement over 3 months (See Image Attachment).

Conclusions

Mechanism of injury influences post-concussion symptom recovery. Despite greater improvement in cognitive and emotional symptoms between visits, the MVA group endorsed significantly higher post-concussive symptomatology across the recovery period. Perhaps because of trauma related to mechanism of injury, specific differences in cognitive and emotional symptom presentation/recovery profiles were observed. Posttraumatic stress symptom assessment may be useful in examining the influence of potential trauma/reactions on post-concussive symptom recovery.