Age, previous sports experience, stronger predictors of performance in children than previous concussions, 91亚色 U study finds聽
April 29, 2024, TORONTO 鈥 from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health may offer reassuring news for parents whose children have a history of concussion, but want to get back to playing sports. Researchers from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health spent more than a decade scouting fields, rinks and courts across the Greater Toronto Area for participants with a history of concussion and tested their performance on complex eye-hand coordination tasks, finding that age and previous sports experience were larger factors in cognitive-motor integration than a history of multiple concussions.
鈥淚n previous work, we've already shown that kids who have any number of concussions perform worse than children who've never had a concussion, but we did notice there was this subgroup of kids who seemed to perform motor skills just fine within weeks of getting a concussion,鈥 says School of Kinesiology and Health Science Prof.. 鈥淲hat we found here suggests that previous sports experience may offer some neuroprotective benefits against the effects of concussion.鈥
The 91亚色 researchers, including Sergio and first author 91亚色 PhD candidate Nicole Smeha, recruited 223 individuals for the study who have a previous history of concussion and gave them a standard task to perform and a more complex one. While the study mostly looked at children and youth playing hockey, soccer, football and basketball, there were a smaller number of 鈥渂eer league鈥 adult participants included in the research, with the youngest participant being nine and the oldest 53, with experience also being the more important factor with older players. They also looked at sex, but did not find it to be a significant factor, says Sergio, also the 91亚色 Research Chair in Brain Health and Gender in Action.
鈥淥ur hypothesis was that a higher number of concussions would be the largest factor for cognitive-motor integration, but after analyzing the results we realized there were likely stronger factors at play,鈥 says Smeha.
Concussions, a form of brain injury, are a complex health issue with most concussions sustained in youth and adolescents under the age of 18. Research shows concussion can lead to deficits in cognitive and motor function, including slower processing speed, increased reaction time, slower upper limb velocity and poorer accuracy. While further injury is a risk, Sergio says that the takeaway message is that multiple factors need to be considered when deciding whether and when to put a kid back into sports after a concussion.
鈥淚f your child has had a second concussion, and they're new to sports, they might be more vulnerable to getting hurt again, because they're not going to be able to perform at the same level, whereas if your kid is playing at a higher level, yes, they鈥檝e still suffered a brain injury, but the neural network controlling movement may be more resilient.鈥
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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.
Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca
