title: Does an individual's fitness level affect baseline concussion symptoms?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Variables that may influence baseline concussion symptoms should be investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of physical fitness on self-report of baseline concussion symptoms in collegiate athletes and students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 125 undergraduates, including 95 collegiate athletes and 30 recreational athletes (83 males, 42 females).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2; symptom report) at baseline, within 10 minutes of completing the Leger test, and within 24 hours of the initial baseline test. The Leger (beep) test is a shuttle-run field test used to predict maximal aerobic power.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total symptom score on the SCAT2 was calculated and analyzed with a repeated-measures analysis of variance. A linear regression analysis was used to determine if 3 variables (sport type, sex, or fitness level) accounted for a significant amount of the variance in the baseline symptom report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants reported more symptoms postactivity but fewer symptoms at 24 hours compared with baseline, representing a time effect in our model (F2,234 = 47.738, P < .001). No interactions were seen among the independent variables. We also found an effect for fitness level, with fitter individuals reporting fewer symptoms at all 3 time intervals. The regression analysis revealed that fitness level accounted for a significant amount of the variance in SCAT2 symptoms at baseline (R (2) = 0.22, F3,121 = 11.44, P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fitness level affected the baseline concussion symptom report. Exercise seems to induce concussion symptom reporting, and symptom severity may be a function of an athlete's level of conditioning. Sports medicine professionals should consider an athlete's level of fitness when conducting baseline concussion symptom assessments.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mrazik
authors.forename: Dhiren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lebrun
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Game
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matthews-White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports; D013178:Sports Medicine; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult