We provide the first meta-analytical review of football heading effects aggregated from multiple studies and extended findings from a recent systematic review of the effects of football heading. Our analysis indicates no overall effect for heading a football on adverse outcomes.

Family history of migraine is associated with PTM symptoms following sport-related concussion, suggesting a genetic predisposition for migraine may serve as a catalyst or trigger for onset of PTM. However, only presence of PTM, rather than family history of migraine, was related to worse neurocognitive and vestibular/oculomotor outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to explore knowledge surrounding sport-related concussions (SRCs) and the impact on reporting behaviors in collegiate athletes, including sex differences. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Institutional. Participants: Participants were 986 collegiate athletes (607 men), aged 19.7 years (SD 5 1.4) from 6 institutions, who completed a survey, including items on personal/sport demographics and SRC knowledge and reporting behaviors. Interventions: Athletes were given a short (15-minute) survey to complete during team meetings and preparticipation physicals. Main Outcome Measures: Athletes' scores on the survey, and reporting behaviors (ie, whether or not they failed to report a suspected SRC and reasons for not reporting SRCs), were examined. Results: Independent samples t tests revealed female athletes scored significantly higher than male athletes on total SRC knowledge [t (926.6) 5 210.6, P , 0.01] and symptom knowledge (t (859) 5 27.0, P , 0.01). Approximately one-quarter of athletes reported continuing to play after sustaining a suspected SRC. Chi-square analyses exposed significant differences between male and female athletes failing to report a suspected SRC (x 2 5 7.69, P , 0.01). Conclusions: Given the current findings, educational efforts aimed at collegiate athletes may not be enough. Furthermore, it is apparent that sex differences exist in SRC knowledge and reporting behaviors among collegiate athletes.

Objective:To investigate the association between risk factors and vestibular–oculomotor outcomes after sport-related concussion (SRC).Study Design:Cross-sectional study of patients seen 5.7 ± 5.4 days (range 0-30 days) after injury.Setting:Specialty clinic.Participants:Eighty-five athletes (50 male athletes and 35 female athletes) aged 14.1 ± 2.8 years (range 9-24 years) seeking clinical care for SRC.Interventions:Participants completed a clinical interview, history questionnaire, symptom inventory, and vestibular/ocularmotor screening (VOMS). Chi-square tests with odds ratios and diagnostic accuracy were used to examine the association between risk factors and VOMS outcomes.Main Outcome Measures:The VOMS.Results:Female sex (χ2 = 4.9, P = 0.03), on-field dizziness (χ2 = 7.1, P = 0.008), fogginess (χ2 = 10.3, P = 0.001), and post-traumatic migraine (PTM) symptoms including headache (χ2 = 16.7, P = 0.001), nausea (χ2 = 10.9, P = 0.001), light sensitivity (χ2 = 14.9, P = 0.001), and noise sensitivity (χ2 = 8.7, P = 0.003) were associated with presence of one or more postconcussion VOMS score above clinical cutoff. On-field dizziness (χ2 = 3.8, P = 0.05), fogginess (χ2 = 7.9, P = 0.005), and PTM-like symptoms including nausea (χ2 = 9.0, P = 0.003) and noise sensitivity (χ2 = 7.2, P = 0.007) were associated with obtaining a postconcussion near-point convergence (NPC) distance cutoff >5 cm. The likelihood ratios were 5.93 and 5.14 for VOMS symptoms and NPC distance, respectively.Conclusions:Female sex, on-field dizziness, fogginess, and PTM symptoms were predictive of experiencing vestibular–oculomotor symptoms/impairment after SRC.

No abstract