The role of subconcussive impacts on sway velocities in Division I men’s lacrosse players

Abstract

Head impacts resulting in a concussion negatively affect the vestibular system, but little is known about the effect of subconcussive impacts on this system. This study's objective was to determine if subconcussive head impacts sustained over one competitive lacrosse season, effect sway velocity. Healthy Division I male lacrosse players (n = 33; aged 19.52 ± 1.20 years) wore instrumented helmets to track head impact exposures. At the beginning and end of the season the players completed an instrumented Balance Error Scoring System assessment to assess sway velocity. Score differentials were correlated to the head impact exposure data collected via instrumented helmets when averaged within participant. Paired samples t-tests revealed a post-season increase in sway velocity on the double leg stance, firm surface (p = 0.002, d = 0.59); tandem stance, firm surface (p = 0.033, d = 0.39) and double leg, foam surface (p = 0.014, d = 0.45) A significant correlation was found between change in tandem stance, firm surface sway velocities and linear acceleration (p < 0.001, r = 0.65). It appears subconcussive impacts may result in tandem stance balance deficits. Repetitive head impacts may negatively affect sway velocity, even in the absence of a diagnosed concussion injury.

<p>Physiological Vibration Acceleration (Phybrata) Sensor Assessment of Multi-System Physiological Impairments and Sensory Reweighting Following Concussion</p>

“…Clinical measurements of postural stability, balance, and mobility are important non-invasive tools in the assessment of neurological, sensory, musculoskeletal, and PNS disorders resulting from a wide range of neurological medical conditions, including head trauma due to concussions, [48][49][50][51] sub-concussive head impact exposure, 44,[52][53][54] industrial accidents, 55 and combat blast. 56,57 Severe impairments of balance can be identified by qualitative postural stability tests that have been developed for a variety of clinical applications, including Romberg testing, 58 the Bass Balance Test, 59 the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 60 the balance error scoring system (BESS), 61 and the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BEST).…”

Prevalence of Acute Neck Pain Following Sports-Related Concussion in High School Athletes

“…14 Neck pain is the primary or most easily identifiable symptom associated with comorbid cervical pathology; however, symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, and vertigo may also be cervicogenic and triggered by musculoskeletal injury to the cervical spine. 17,18 In the absence of a differential diagnosis, cervicogenic symptoms may be misdiagnosed as being vestibular, ocular, or central nervous system in nature. 16,18,19 Acute neck pain is a sign to clinicians that other comorbid symptoms may be cervicogenic and necessitate further examination of the cervical spine.…”

<p>Monitoring of postural sway with a head-mounted wearable device: effects of gender, participant state, and concussion</p>

“…Measures of postural sway are important for assessing abnormalities of the vestibular system resulting from a wide range of injury, medical-treatment, and age-related balance impairments, including concussions,1–4 subconcussive events,5–8 industrial accidents,9 combat blast,10,11 anesthesia,12 Parkinson’s disease,13,14 Alzheimer’s disease,15 and multiple sclerosis. 16 The particular vulnerability of balance is not surprising given the structural complexity of the labyrinthine vestibular apparatus, the risk of damage to otolith or semicircular canal hair cells due to high acceleration forces and other factors, and the overall complexity of multisensory integration that combines visual, proprioceptive, vestibular, and efferent motor inputs and outputs to maintain body position 10,17–19.…”