Performance following a first professional concussion among National Basketball Association players.
OBJECTIVE
Basketball is a physical game played on a hardwood floor among high-jumping athletes at risk for injury. It is currently unknown how sport-related concussion (SRC) affects player performance after injury among professional basketball players. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of SRC on basketball performance among National Basketball Association (NBA) players.


METHODS
A retrospective, archival cohort study was performed that compared NBA player performance following concussion to pre-concussive performance. A comprehensive NBA injury database, compiled from publically available sources, was queried for NBA players who suffered concussion from 2005-06 to 2014-15 (10 seasons). Intra-and inter-player analyses were performed against a matched control group of players who missed playing time for personal reasons.


RESULTS
Following application of inclusion/exclusion criteria and a matching process, 51 concussed players and 51 control players were included in analysis. There were no statistically significant decrements in baseline to post-concussion performance metrics in intra-player or player vs. controls after 5 return games.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that at the NBA level, an athlete's performance in the initial 5 games following injury does not suffer from the after-effects of concussive injury. These results may be useful in counseling professional athletes following a concussion.
a Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
Aaron M
AM
Yengo-Kahn
a Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.|b Department of Neurological Surgery , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
Scott L
SL
Zuckerman
c Department of Athletic Training , St. Vincent Health System , Little Rock , AR , USA.
Jeff
J
Stotts
a Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
Brian H
BH
Zalneraitis
a Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
Ryan M
RM
Gardner
d Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention , Indianapolis , IN , USA.
Zachary Y
ZY
Kerr
a Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.|b Department of Neurological Surgery , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
Gary S
GS
Solomon
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001490:Basketball / Q000293:injuries*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Mild traumatic brain injury; National Basketball Association; athletes; concussion; performance; player impact estimate; post-concussive performance; sport-related concussion