David R Howell1, Louis R Osternig1, Li-Shan Chou2. 1. Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA. 2. Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA chou@uoregon.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Age has been described as a factor that affects recovery after concussion. The recommended management protocol is to treat adolescents in a more cautious manner than adults. However, few studies have prospectively and longitudinally assessed the way these age groups perform on motor tasks after concussion. PURPOSE: To examine dual-task gait balance control deficits after concussion in a group of adolescents and young adults in reference to matched control subjects within 72 hours of injury and throughout 2 months after injury. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Adolescents and young adults who sustained a concussion and individually matched controls completed a whole-body motion gait analysis while simultaneously performing a cognitive task. Subjects with concussion reported to the laboratory within 72 hours after injury and at the following time points: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after injury. Control subjects completed the same protocol at similar time points. Gait balance control measurements included whole-body center-of-mass (COM) medial-lateral displacement/velocity and anterior velocity. RESULTS: A total of 38 subjects with concussion, 19 young adults (mean ± SD age, 20.3 ± 2.4 years) and 19 adolescents (mean ± SD age, 15.1 ± 1.1 years), and 38 individually matched control subjects were tested. Within 72 hours of injury, adolescents displayed significantly greater COM medial-lateral displacement (P = .001) and peak velocity (P = .001) relative to their control group, and the young adult concussion group displayed significantly less peak COM anterior velocity than their control group (P = .01). Across the 2 months of testing, adolescents with concussion displayed significantly greater total COM medial-lateral displacement than did adolescent controls (P = .001), while young adults with concussion did not significantly differ from their matched controls (P = .07). CONCLUSION: An examination of gait balance control during dual-task walking revealed that after concussion, in reference to matched controls, adolescents demonstrated greater gait balance control deficits than did young adults initially and throughout the 2-month postinjury period, supporting the recommendation of conservative management for adolescents after concussion.
BACKGROUND: Age has been described as a factor that affects recovery after concussion. The recommended management protocol is to treat adolescents in a more cautious manner than adults. However, few studies have prospectively and longitudinally assessed the way these age groups perform on motor tasks after concussion. PURPOSE: To examine dual-task gait balance control deficits after concussion in a group of adolescents and young adults in reference to matched control subjects within 72 hours of injury and throughout 2 months after injury. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Adolescents and young adults who sustained a concussion and individually matched controls completed a whole-body motion gait analysis while simultaneously performing a cognitive task. Subjects with concussion reported to the laboratory within 72 hours after injury and at the following time points: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after injury. Control subjects completed the same protocol at similar time points. Gait balance control measurements included whole-body center-of-mass (COM) medial-lateral displacement/velocity and anterior velocity. RESULTS: A total of 38 subjects with concussion, 19 young adults (mean ± SD age, 20.3 ± 2.4 years) and 19 adolescents (mean ± SD age, 15.1 ± 1.1 years), and 38 individually matched control subjects were tested. Within 72 hours of injury, adolescents displayed significantly greater COM medial-lateral displacement (P = .001) and peak velocity (P = .001) relative to their control group, and the young adult concussion group displayed significantly less peak COM anterior velocity than their control group (P = .01). Across the 2 months of testing, adolescents with concussion displayed significantly greater total COM medial-lateral displacement than did adolescent controls (P = .001), while young adults with concussion did not significantly differ from their matched controls (P = .07). CONCLUSION: An examination of gait balance control during dual-task walking revealed that after concussion, in reference to matched controls, adolescents demonstrated greater gait balance control deficits than did young adults initially and throughout the 2-month postinjury period, supporting the recommendation of conservative management for adolescents after concussion.
Authors: Robert C Lynall; Timothy C Mauntel; Ryan T Pohlig; Zachary Y Kerr; Thomas P Dompier; Eric E Hall; Thomas A Buckley Journal: J Athl Train Date: 2017-11-15 Impact factor: 2.860
Authors: David R Howell; Michael J O'Brien; Michael A Beasley; Rebekah C Mannix; William P Meehan Journal: Acta Paediatr Date: 2016-06-15 Impact factor: 2.299
Authors: Robert C Lynall; Brian Pietrosimone; Zachary Y Kerr; Timothy C Mauntel; Jason P Mihalik; Kevin M Guskiewicz Journal: J Athl Train Date: 2017-06-02 Impact factor: 2.860
Authors: Jessie R Oldham; David R Howell; Christopher A Knight; Jeremy R Crenshaw; Thomas A Buckley Journal: Clin J Sport Med Date: 2020-08-17 Impact factor: 3.638
Authors: David R Howell; Rebekah C Mannix; Bridget Quinn; J Andrew Taylor; Can Ozan Tan; William P Meehan Journal: Am J Sports Med Date: 2016-02-02 Impact factor: 6.202