Prospective study with specific Re-Assessment time points to determine time to recovery following a Sports-Related Concussion in university-aged student-athletes

• Published in: Physical therapy in sport Vol. 52; pp. 287 - 296
• Main Authors: Glendon, K., Blenkinsop, G., Belli, A., Pain, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2021; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Academic impairment; Concussion; Memory; Neurocognition; Physical therapy; Recovery; Recovery (Medical); Rugby; Sports injuries; Sports medicine; Sports-related concussion; Student athletes; Vestibular ocular-motor function; United Kingdom > UK; Academic impairment; Sports-related concussion; Vestibular ocular-motor function; Neurocognition; Recovery
• ISSN: 1466-853X; 1873-1600
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.10.008

Time to recovery for symptom burden and neurocognition following a Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) has previously been determined by consolidating varying re-assessment time points into a singular point, and has not been established for Vestibular-Ocular-Motor (VOM) function or academic ability.
Establish when recovery of symptom burden, neurocognition, VOM function, and academic ability occurs in university-aged student-athletes.
Student-athletes completed an assessment battery (Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), Vestibular Ocular-Motor Screening (VOMS), Perceived Academic Impairment Tool (PAIT)) during pre-season (n = 140), within 48 hours, 4, 8 and 14 days post-SRC and prior to Return To Play (RTP) and were managed according to the Rugby Football Union’ community pathway (n = 42). Student-athletes were deemed recovered or impaired according to Reliable Change Index’ (RCI) or compared to their individual baseline.
Symptom burden recovers by four days post-SRC on RCI and to baseline by eight days. VOM function and academic ability recovers by 8 days. Some student-athletes demonstrated worse performance at RTP on all tests by RCI and to baseline, except for on VOMS score and near point convergence by RCI change.
Variation in individual university-aged student-athletes requires a multi-faceted approach to establish what dysfunctions post-SRC exist and when recovery occurs.
•Symptom burden recovers below RCI at 4 days and to baseline at 8 days.•Vestibular-oculomotor function recovers by RCI at 8 days, and to baseline at return to play.•Neurocognitive impairment was detected at any time point using the reliable change index.•At return to play neurocognition was worse than baseline on memory.•Clinicians should use change to baseline to understand when recovery occurs.