The association between sleep and physical activity with persisting postconcussion symptoms among adolescent athletes

Abstract

BackgroundBoth sleep duration and physical activity following concussion may influence subsequent recovery. Objective measurement of sleep and physical activity behavior via wearable technology may provide insights into their association with concussion recovery.ObjectiveTo determine whether sleep behavior (eg, duration, timing) and/or physical activity (steps/day, or exercise frequency, duration, intensity) in the first month after adolescent sports‐related concussion are associated with developing persisting postconcussion symptoms (PPCS).DesignCase–control.SettingOutpatient sports medicine clinic.ParticipantsThe study prospectively enrolled adolescent athletes who sustained a concussion (N = 49, age = 14.8 ± 1.8 years; 51% female) who were evaluated within 14 days of concussion (mean = 6.7 ± 2.7 days) and followed uvia sleep/physical activity monitoring for the subsequent 2 weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresParticipants wore a monitor to track sleep (sleep time, wake time, and time spent awake in bed at night) and physical activity (average steps/day, exercise frequency, exercise duration) behavior for 2 weeks after initial assessment. Participants were followed until symptom resolution, and the main outcome of interest was development of PPCS (symptom duration >28 days). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine associations between physical activity and sleep behavior with PPCS.ResultsOf the 49 participants, 47% (n = 23, mean symptom resolution = 57 ± 23 days post injury) developed PPCS and 53% (n = 26, mean symptom resolution = 15 ± 7 days post injury) did not. Univariable analysis showed that the PPCS group took fewer steps/day (7526 ± 2975 vs. 9803 ± 3786 steps/day; p = .02), exercised less frequently (2.5 ± 2.2 vs. 4.4 ± 2.1 days/week; p = .005), and spent more time in bed awake (1.2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.8 ± 0.3 h/night; p = .03) than the no PPCS group. Multivariable results indicated the odds of developing PPCS significantly increased with fewer exercise session/week (adjusted odds ratio = 1.96, 95% confidence interval = 1.09, 3.51, p = .024).ConclusionsMore exercise sessions that were longer than 15 minutes during concussion recovery was associated with a lower risk of developing PPCS, whereas sleep and other physical activity measures were not. Further studies regarding exercise duration and intensity are needed. Clinicians may consider advising patients to optimize sleep and physical activity during concussion recovery.

Exercising More Than 150 min/wk After Concussion Is Associated With Sleep Quality Improvements

“…Concussion diagnoses were defined consistent with the most up-to-date international consensus statement on concussion in sports definition during the study period, as were management recommendations provided to patients. 1 Our inclusion criteria consisted of being 10 to 17 years of age at the time of enrollment, having a Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI) score of 9 or more at initial visit to ensure participants had not recovered by the time they enrolled in the study, 26,30,[34][35][36] and beginning activity tracking within 18 days of their injury. Exclusion criteria included those who experienced a lower extremity injury concomitant with their concussion that would affect exercise participation, a concussion within the last 6 months (excluding the index injury), a second head impact before clearance from the initial concussion, documented structural brain injury via neuroimaging (if performed), or a highvelocity injury mechanism (eg, a motor vehicle crash that occurred when traveling at a high speed or a fall from height, determined upon clinical intake prior to recruitment).…”