Journal
MEDICAL ENGINEERING & PHYSICS
Volume 30, Issue 8, Pages 959-967Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2007.12.006
Keywords
Concussion; Gait; Sub-concussion; Uninjured controls; Dual-task; Balance control
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Funding
- PHS HHS [CCR023203, R49/CCR021735] Funding Source: Medline
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Current literature provides only limited information regarding performance on dynamic motor tasks following concussion. However, recent investigations have suggested that participation in contact sports may have a negative effect on cognitive function without the existence of a medically diagnosed concussion. The purpose of this study was to examine balance control during gait in concussed and uninjured athletes and non-athletes. Twenty-eight Grade 2 concussed individuals (14 athletes and 14 non-athletes) and 28 uninjured matched controls (14 athletes and 14 non-athletes) were assessed for their gait performance within 48 h, 5, 14, and 28 days post-injury under conditions of divided and undivided attention. Athletes, whether concussed or not, walked slower and swayed more and faster than non-athletes. Athletes consistently demonstrated gait imbalance even in the absence of concussion. The findings of this study support the supposition that participation in high-impact sports has a measurable and possibly detrimental effect on balance control in the absence of a medically diagnosed concussion. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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