Research Article, J Athl Enhancement Vol: 4 Issue: 3
Visuo-Motor Processing Impairments Following Concussion in Athletes
| Andrea Cripps1*, Scott C Livingston2, Jiang Yang3, Carl Mattacola4, Emily Van Meter5, Patrick Kitzman4 and Patrick McKeon6 | |
| 1Athletic Training Education, Bowling Green State University, USA | |
| 2Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Silver Spring, MD, USA | |
| 3Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, USA | |
| 4Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, USA | |
| 5Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, USA | |
| 6Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA | |
| Corresponding author : Andrea Cripps, PhD ATC, Assistant Professor, Athletic Training Education, Bowling Green State University, 209S Eppler Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA Tel: 419-372-0221 E-mail: acripps@bgsu.edu |
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| Received: July 16, 2013 Accepted: June 15, 2015 Published: June 22, 2015 | |
| Citation: Cripps A (2015) Visuo-Motor Processing Impairments Following Concussion in Athletes. J Athl Enhancement 4:3. doi:10.4172/2324-9080.1000197 |
Abstract
Visuo-Motor Processing Impairments Following Concussion in Athletes
Objective: Conduct a pilot study to determine if visuo-motor processing is altered in athletes following sports-related concussion. Research design: A longitudinal matched cohort was used to assess 7 concussed and 7 matched control subjects. Interventions: All subjects completed a simple visuo-motor processing task (SVMP). Each subject completed 120 randomized trials. Subjects were asked to identify which direction the motion occurred in (left/right). Repeated testing was conducted 10 days following initial testing. Main outcome measures: Reaction time (overall, each grouping of 20 trials, ambiguous and unambiguous trials right/left), number of correct responses, and number of incorrect responses. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine differences between groups (concussed/control) and sessions (10 days apart). Results: Concussed athletes has significantly delayed visuo-motor reaction time compared to control subjects and between days of testing. Conclusions: Visuo-motor processing is impaired during the initial 10 days following a sports-related concussion. Concussed athletes demonstrate functional differences in SVMP task performance between testing days. An athlete may be placed at greater risk of injury if returned to sports participation with an impaired ability to quickly make decisions regarding direction of movement. Visuomotor processing should be a routine component of concussion assessment and RTP decision making.
