Concussion history and postconcussion neurocognitive performance and symptoms in collegiate athletes.
BACKGROUND
Athletes are at an inherent risk for sustaining concussions. Research examining the long-term consequences of sport-related concussion has been inconsistent in demonstrating lingering neurocognitive decrements that may be associated with a previous history of concussion.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between concussion history and postconcussion neurocognitive performance and symptoms in collegiate athletes.


METHODS
Repeated-measures design.


METHODS
Multi-center analysis of collegiate athletes.


METHODS
Fifty-seven concussed collegiate athletes (36 without concussion history, 21 with a history of 2 or more concussions).


METHODS
All subjects were administered an Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) neurocognitive test battery, which measures verbal memory, visual memory, reaction time, and visual processing speed and 22 concussion symptoms.


METHODS
Subjects who sustained a concussion were administered 2 follow-up tests at days 1 and 5 postinjury. Independent variables were history of concussion (no history of concussion, 2 or more concussions) and time (baseline, day 1 postconcussion, or day 5 postconcussion).


RESULTS
A within-subjects effect (time) on ImPACT performance (P < .001), a between-subjects multivariate effect of group (P < .001), and a group-by-time interaction (P = .034) were noted. Athletes with a concussion history performed significantly worse on verbal memory (P = .01) and reaction time (P = .023) at day 5 postconcussion compared with athletes who did not report a previous concussion. No significant group differences were seen at day 5 postinjury on visual memory (P = .167), processing speed (P = .179), or total concussion symptoms (P = .87).


CONCLUSIONS
Concussed collegiate athletes with a history of 2 or more concussions took longer to recover verbal memory and reaction time than athletes without a history of concussion.
Covassin
Tracey
T
Michigan State University, Department of Kinesiology, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. covassin@msu.edu
Stearne
David
D
Elbin
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors