Early vs. Delayed Evaluation & Persisting Concussion Symptoms During Recovery In Adults

In this new article SNS members Stephen Bunt, Nyaz Didehbani, Ph.D. and C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D. found that a delayed presentation to a specialty concussion clinic (30 or more days post-injury) regardless of previous evaluation was associated with poorer recovery outcomes in adults compared to those with an earlier presentation. Time from injury to a formal…

Transition-Related Psychosocial Factors and Mental Health Outcomes in Former NFL Players

A recent study of former NFL players revealed that leaving their sport involuntarily and without a transition plan was associated with greater severity of current depressive and anxiety symptoms. Further researcher is needed to understand how transition-related factors influence functioning in athletes discontinuing participation from sport at lower levels of play (high school, college, etc.).…

Mild cognitive impairment and dementia reported by former professional football players over 50 years of age: an NFL-LONG study

Summary: The authors analyzed self-report questionnaire data from over 900 former NFL players (ages 50+). Their results revealed higher prevalence of self-reported MCI and dementia compared to the general population, with self-reported impairment associated with various health-related (reported concussions, depression, anxiety, recent pain, sleep apnea) and demographics-related (age, race) factors. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34593716/ Walton, S. R., Brett,…

Longitudinal trajectory of depression symptom severity and the influence of concussion history and physical function over a 19-year period among former NFL players

Summary: The authors studied 333 former NFL players over a 19-year period to determine factors associated with severity and trajectory of depressive symptoms. Their data revealed an association between concussion history and severity of depression, as well as showed that declining physical functioning was associated with increases in depressive symptoms longitudinally. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2021/10/17/jnnp-2021-326602 Brett B. L., Kerr Z. Y., Walton S.…

Selected issues in sport-related concussion for the team physician: a consensus statement

This is the latest update to the Team Physician consensus statement on sport-related concussion developed by the Team Physician Consensus Conference (previous drafts published in 2006 and 2011).  The article delineates “essential” information that a team physician must understand and implement and “desirable” information that are considered best-practice in ideal settings.  The article then briefly…

After a concussion: No more sitting in the dark?

This is the first study to objectively document self-paced physical and cognitive activity post-concussion among youth suggests they may be able to engage in physical and cognitive activity as soon as tolerated post-concussion. The study, published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, found that self-paced physical and cognitive activity during the first week after sustaining…

Rates of Incidental Findings in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Children

This study explores the number of incidental findings in a large (N= 11,810) multi-site brain MRI study (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development).  3T baseline scans were reviewed by board-certified neuroradiologists for incidental findings.  Approximately 21% of the scans had incidental findings with 3.7% warranting non-urgent clinical referrals and 0.2% warranting urgent clinical referrals.  The remaining 17%…

SNS Comment on recent press release regarding “blood test for concussions.”

The Sports Neuropsychology Society (SNS) previously issued a statement in 2018 following the FDA’s 2-13-2018 announcement regarding a blood test that allows for the detection of bleeding into the brain in cases of traumatic brain injury (“FDA authorizes marketing of first blood test to aid in the evaluation of concussion in adults” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-marketing-first-blood-test-aid-evaluation-concussion-adults). The SNS pointed…