Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Neurol 2022 Jun 25. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Krembil Discovery Tower, University of Toronto, 60 Leonard Avenue, 6th floor 6KD-407, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.

Background: Considering the wide range of outcomes following sport-related concussions, biomarkers are needed to detect underlying pathological changes. The objective was to analyze the use of plasma phosphorylated tau 181 (pTau181) as a non-invasive measure of underlying brain changes in a cohort of retired contact sports athletes at risk of neurodegeneration.

Methods: Fifty-four retired contact sport athletes and 27 healthy controls whose blood plasma was analyzed for pTau181 were included. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Department of Radiology, Wenzhou, China;

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)-associated damage to hub regions can lead to disrupted modular structures of functional brain networks and may result in widespread cognitive and behavioral deficits. The spatial layout of brain connections and modules is essential for understanding the reorganization of brain networks to trauma. We investigated the roles of hubs in inter-subnetwork information coordination and integration using participation coefficients (PC) in 74 patients with acute mTBI and 51 matched healthy controls. Read More

IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022 Jun 9;12:157-162. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion is the most common form of TBI which frequently results in persistent cognitive impairments and memory deficits in affected individuals [1]. Although most studies have investigated the role of hippocampal synaptic dysfunction in earlier time points following a single injury, the long-lasting effects of mTBI on hippocampal synaptic transmission following multiple brain concussions have not been well-elucidated. Using a repetitive closed head injury (3XCHI) mouse model of mTBI, we examined the alteration of spontaneous synaptic transmission onto hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons by recording spontaneous excitatory AMPA receptor (AMPAR)- and inhibitory GABAR-mediated postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and sIPSCs, respectively) in adult male mice 2-weeks following the injury. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 9;19(12). Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.

Sports are yielding a wealth of benefits for cardiovascular fitness, for psychological resilience, and for cognition. The amount of practice, and the type of practiced sports, are of importance to obtain these benefits and avoid any side effects. This is especially important in the context of contact sports. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 Jun 23;12(1):8567. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.

The present work demonstrates the development of a flexible, self-powered sensor patch that can be used to estimate angular acceleration and angular velocity, which are two essential markers for predicting concussions. The device monitors the dynamic strain experienced by the neck through a thin, polypropylene-based ferroelectret nanogenerator that produces a voltage pulse with profile proportional to strain. The intrinsic property of this device to convert mechanical input to electrical output, along with its flexibility and [Formula: see text] 100 [Formula: see text]m thickness makes it a viable and practical device to be used as a wearable patch for athletes in high-contact sports. Read More

Am J Sports Med 2022 Jun 23:3635465221104685. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.

Background: Investigations of estimated age of first exposure to repetitive head impacts from collision and contact sports have shown no associations with neurocognitive or neurobehavioral function at the collegiate level, but the effect of career duration may be a more comprehensive factor. Understanding whether longer career duration influences gait performance would provide insights into potential neurological impairment.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between career duration of collision sports and single/dual-task gait performance in collegiate student-athletes. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

La Trobe University College of Science Health and Engineering, 97586, Psychology and Counselling, Kingsbury Dr, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia, 3083;

There is a recognized need for objective tools for detecting and tracking clinical and neuropathological recovery after sports-related concussion (SRC). While computerised neurocognitive testing has been shown to be sensitive to cognitive deficits after SRC, and some blood biomarkers have shown promise as indicators of axonal and glial damage, the potential utility of these measures in isolation and combination for assisting SRC diagnosis and tracking recovery is not well understood. To provide new insights, we conducted a prospective study of 64 male and female professional flat-track jockeys (49 non-SRC, 15 SRC), with each jockey undergoing symptom evaluation, cognitive testing using the CogSport battery, and serum biomarker quantification of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tau, and neurofilament light (NfL) using a Simoa HD-X Analyzer. Read More

Neurotrauma Rep 2022 5;3(1):200-206. Epub 2022 May 5.

Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a major concern among athletes and clinicians around the world. Research into fluid biomarkers of SRC has made significant progress in understanding the complex underlying pathophysiology of concussion. However, little headway has been made toward clinically validating any biomarkers to improve the clinical management of SRC. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Indiana University School of Medicine, 12250, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, 355 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202-5114;

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is an important public health issue. White-matter alterations after SRC are widely studied by neuroimaging approaches, such as diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although the exact anatomic location of the alterations may differ, significant white-matter alterations are commonly observed in long fiber tracts, but are never proven. Read More

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, 1137 Western Rd, London, ON, N6G 1G7, Canada.

This study investigated the prevalence of lifetime concussions, related psychosocial problems, and post-concussion recovery rates in a clinical sample of children and youth. Participants were 24,186 children and youth (M = 11.9 years, SD = 3. Read More

BMJ Open 2022 Jun 21;12(6):e062527. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.

Introduction: Mental health problems frequently interfere with recovery from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but are under-recognised and undertreated. Consistent implementation of clinical practice guidelines for proactive detection and treatment of mental health complications after mTBI will require evidence-based knowledge translation strategies. This study aims to determine if a guideline implementation tool can reduce the risk of mental health complications following mTBI. Read More

J Sport Rehabil 2022 Jun 20:1-8. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Health and Human Performance, The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN,USA.

Context: An Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning theory-based motor learning intervention delivering autonomy support and enhanced expectancies (EE) shows promise for reducing cognitive-motor dual-task costs, or the relative difference in primary task performance when completed with and without a secondary cognitive task, that facilitate adaptive injury-resistant movement response. The current pilot study sought to determine the effectiveness of an autonomy support versus an EE-enhanced virtual reality motor learning intervention to reduce dual-task costs during single-leg balance.

Design: Within-subjects 3 × 3 trial. Read More

N Z Med J 2022 Jan 21;135(1548):31-41. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

BSc (Hons) Injury Prevention Specialist, Accident Compensation Corporation, Wellington.

Aim: To assess the current state of knowledge around sport-related concussion (SRC) guidelines and management among primary care doctors in New Zealand.

Methods: An online, self-administered, 21-item multi-choice questionnaire targeted at general practitioners and urgent care doctors in New Zealand was used. Main outcome measures were knowledge and management of patients with SRC through to return-to-sport. Read More

CMAJ 2022 Jun;194(24):E834-E842

Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (Eliason, Hagel, Palacios-Derflingher, Warriyar KV, Bonfield, Black, Emery), Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary; Integrated Concussion Research Program (Eliason, Black), University of Calgary; Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences (Hagel, Emery), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Australian Health Services Research Institute (Palacios-Derflingher), Faculty of Business and Law, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Education (Mrazik), University of Alberta; Department of Family Medicine (Lebrun), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Glen Sather Sport Medicine Clinic (Lebrun), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.

Background: Although high rates of injury occur in youth ice hockey, disagreements exist about the risks and benefits of permitting bodychecking. We sought to evaluate associations between experience with bodychecking and rates of injury and concussion among ice hockey players aged 15-17 years.

Methods: We obtained data from a prospective cohort study of ice hockey players aged 15-17 years in Alberta who played in leagues that permitted bodychecking. Read More

J Athl Train 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Increasing attention is directed on identifying aspects of football participation for targeted policy change that reduces concussion risk. Prior work evaluated concussion risk during the pre- and regular-seasons, leaving the spring season largely unexplored. This nationally representative observational investigation of 19 Division I collegiate football programs evaluated concussion rates and head impact exposure during the pre-season, regular season, and spring practices from 2014-2019. Read More

J Athl Train 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Exercise and Sports Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.

Context: Certified athletic therapists in Ireland and Canada serve essential concussion assessment and management roles, but their healthcare practices and concussion knowledge are unestablished.

Objective: To examine Irish and Canadian athletic therapist cohorts: 1) concussion knowledge, 2) current concussion assessment and management techniques across all job settings, and 3) concussion assessment and management practices associations with years of clinical experience and highest degree attained.

Design: Cross-sectional cohort. Read More

Sports Med 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Eur J Sport Sci 2022 Jun 19:1-11. Epub 2022 Jun 19.

School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Previous studies reported that adolescents with a sport-related concussion history showed prolonged visuomotor deficits during an eye-hand decoupling task until around 1.5-2 years post-event. The present study expands this work, examining whether such deficits do or do not emerge when testing individuals in young adulthood, i. Read More

Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2022 Jun 19:99228221101726. Epub 2022 Jun 19.

Texas Orthopaedic Associates, Dallas, TX, USA.

The objective was to examine the use of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for the treatment of sport-related concussion (SRC) in adolescent athletes. We hypothesize that participants who intake 2 g of DHA daily will not experience differences in recovery compared with participants who take a placebo. This double-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial was performed in a tertiary pediatric sports medicine clinic from 2013 to 2017 in adolescents (14-18 years) presenting with diagnosed SRC within 4 days of injury. Read More

Cureus 2022 May 17;14(5):e25066. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Neurology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Cranial dermoid cysts are rare, embryologic tumors containing fat, hair, and other ectodermal elements. They occur most frequently in the posterior fossa and are typically diagnosed as incidental findings on brain imaging done for an unrelated reason. Traumatic rupture of a previously unidentified intracranial dermoid cyst can mimic symptoms of post-concussion syndrome and should be ruled out with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022 Jun 17:2073750. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Optum, Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA.

The 4-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (4vHPV vaccine), Gardasil®, is indicated for the prevention of several HPV-related diseases. The objective was to assess the safety of 4vHPV vaccine administered to males as part of routine care. The study used a US health insurance claims database, and included males, age 9 to 26 years, who initiated 4vHPV between October 2009 and December 2016. Read More

Front Public Health 2022 30;10:890420. Epub 2022 May 30.

Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States.

Background: Up to one-third of concussed children develop persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS). The identification of biomarkers such as salivary miRNAs that detect concussed children at increased risk of PPCS has received growing attention in recent years. However, whether and how salivary miRNA expression levels differ over time between concussed children with and without PPCS is unknown. Read More

Physiol Meas 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Sports Science, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Suidwal Road, Coetzenburg, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7601, SOUTH AFRICA.

Objective: Diagnosing a sports-related concussion (SRC) remains challenging, and research into diagnostic tools is limited. This study investigated whether selected eye tracking variables would be a valid tool to diagnose and monitor SRC in adult and youth participants in selected contact sports, such as Rugby Union (rugby) and football (soccer).

Methods: This prospective cohort study, with 70 concussed and 92 non-concussed adult and youth athletes, assessed the validity of five previously selected eye tracking variables for SRC diagnostics and management. Read More

Am J Occup Ther 2022 Jul;76(4)

Jill G. Zwicker, MA, PhD, BSc, BA, OT(C), is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Investigator, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and Clinician Scientist, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Importance: Concussions are common among children and youth. To date, the pediatric concussion literature has focused on quantitative reports of the effects of concussion and return-to-activity guidelines. However, the subjective experiences of children and youth returning to occupations postconcussion have largely been ignored. Read More

J Appl Physiol (1985) 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Cerebrovascular Concussion Lab, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Currently, the standard approach for restricting exercise prior to cerebrovascular data collection varies widely between 6-24 hours. This universally employed practice is a conservative approach to safeguard physiological alterations that could potentially confound one's study design. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to amalgamate the literature that examines the extent and duration cerebrovascular function is impacted following aerobic exercise measured via transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Read More

Brain Inj 2022 Jun 16:1-10. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Aims: The provision of rehabilitation services for people with disorders of consciousness (DoC) may vary due to geographical, financial, and political factors. The extent of this variability and the implementation of treatment standards across countries is unknown. This study explored international neurorehabilitation systems for people with DoC. Read More

JMIR Res Protoc 2022 Jun 15;11(6):e37836. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Research and Development Service, Edward Hines Jr Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines, IL, United States.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and chronic pain often co-occur and worsen rehabilitation outcomes. There is a need for improved multimodal nonpharmacologic treatments that could improve outcomes for both conditions. Yoga is a promising activity-based intervention for mTBI and chronic pain, and neuromodulation through transcranial magnetic stimulation is a promising noninvasive, nonpharmacological treatment for mTBI and chronic pain. Read More

J Head Trauma Rehabil 2022 May-Jun 01;37(3):152-161

SHARE Military Initiative (Ms Wallace, Mr Glickstein, and Dr Gore), Crawford Research Institute (Ms Wallace and Drs Morris and Anderson), Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia; and Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Anderson).

Background: Diaphragmatic breathing is an evidence-based intervention for managing stress and anxiety; however, some military veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report challenges to learning and practicing the technique. BreatheWell Wear assists performance of breathing exercises through reminders, biofeedback, and visual, tactile, and auditory guidance.

Objective: To evaluate feasibility of implementing BreatheWell Wear, a mobile smartwatch application with companion smartphone app, as an intervention for stress management in military veterans with mTBI and PTSD. Read More

Health Educ Behav 2022 Jun 15:10901981221099886. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.

Concussion education is widely mandated and largely ineffective. Recent consensus guidance on concussion education asserts the importance of (1) theory-driven programming that targets the team as a system and (2) working with end users throughout the development process, and considering issues such as feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. Consistent with this guidance, and in collaboration with youth sport stakeholders in two regions of the United States, we developed a novel approach to concussion education: Pre-game safety huddles. Read More

Brain Commun 2022 27;4(3):fcac132. Epub 2022 May 27.

National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, RM1128, Bldg 51, Bethesda, MD, USA.

The purpose of this study was to analyze quantitative diffusion tensor imaging measures across the spectrum of traumatic brain injury severity and evaluate their trajectories in military service members. Participants were 96 U.S. Read More