title: Effect of mild brain injury on an instrumented agility task.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify an objective evaluation technique to guide return-to-play decisions following mild brain injury (MBI) using an agility task that incorporates cognitive and motor performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, controlled, repeated measures study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Collegiate athletic training facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  84 athletes (25 male rugby players, 34 female rugby players, 25 male ice hockey players) from 3 intercollegiate club teams participated. 9 athletes who suffered MBI during their competitive seasons and 9 matched controls completed the entire study protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to complete an agility task on the Cybex Reactor and a postconcussive symptoms scale score were assessed in all subjects during the preseason. Injured subjects and matched controls were also assessed 1, 3, 5, and 10 days postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed significant differences between injured subjects and controls in postconcussion symptoms, but not agility performance. Post hoc testing revealed that injured subjects reported significantly more postconcussion symptoms on Day 1 after injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The methods of agility assessment used in this study appear to not be sensitive enough to detect functional impairment following MBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Athletic Training Research Laboratory, Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, 269 Recreation Building, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Olmsted
authors.forename: Craig R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Denegar
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Putukian
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis