1. Utility of providing a concussion definition in the assessment of concussion history in former NFL players.
- Author
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Alosco, Michael L., Jarnagin, Johnny, Tripodis, Yorghos, Martin, Brett, Chaisson, Christine, Baugh, Christine M., Torres, Alcy, Nowinski, Christopher J., Cantu, Robert C., and Stern, Robert A.
- Subjects
BRAIN concussion diagnosis ,AFFECT (Psychology) ,BRAIN concussion ,CLINICAL medicine research ,FACTOR analysis ,FOOTBALL injuries ,LOSS of consciousness ,NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,MEMORY ,PSYCHOLOGY of movement ,PROBABILITY theory ,PROFESSIONAL sports ,SELF-evaluation ,OCCUPATIONAL hazards ,ENVIRONMENTAL exposure ,PROFESSIONAL athletes ,HEALTH literacy ,EXECUTIVE function ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SYMPTOMS - Abstract
Objective: Former National Football League (NFL) players’ working knowledge of concussion has not yet been evaluated, despite this population being a major clinical research target due to the association between repetitive head impacts (RHI) and long-term clinical impairments. This study examined former NFL players’ understanding of the current concussion definition, and the association between number of concussions with clinical function. Methods: 95 former NFL players (mean age = 55.29; mean NFL year = 8.10) self-reported number of concussions before being provided with a concussion definition and after being read a modern definition of concussion. Subjects reported number of concussions with loss of consciousness (LOC). Principal Component Analysis of a battery of tests generated behaviour/mood, psychomotor speed/executive function, and verbal and visual memory factor scores. Results: Post-definition number of concussions (median = 50) was five times the pre-definition (median = 10;p< 0.001). Greater pre- (p= 0.019) and post-definition concussions (p= 0.036) correlated with worse behaviour/mood scores, after controlling for years of football played, with specific effects for depressive symptoms and impulsivity. LOC did not account for variance beyond number of concussions. Conclusions: Practitioners and clinical researchers should provide a definition of concussion in the assessment of concussion history in former football players to facilitate accuracy and standardization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
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