Prien Annika, Junge Astrid, Brugger Peter, Straumann Dominik, Feddermann-Demont Nina
Department of Prevention, Health Promotion and Sports Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Amsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports, Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2019 Jun 1;34(4):575-584. doi: 10.1093/arclin/acy056.
Concussion diagnosis and management in sports largely relies on neurocognitive testing. In the absence of baseline assessment, only norm values of the general population are available for comparison with scores of concussed athletes. To evaluate whether (elite) sport specific norm values are needed, cognitive performance was compared between top-level football players and the general population.
Cognitive performance of 425 top-level football players was evaluated using the computerized test battery CNS Vital Signs. Players were split into two age groups (15-19 and 20-29 years) and test results were compared with a norm sample (n = 268) by means of age-standardized scores using Cohen's d effect size statistics.
The younger age group outperformed the norm sample in all domains, with small to moderate effects on tests of processing speed (d = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.31,0.85), cognitive flexibility (d = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.01,0.53) and psychomotor speed (d = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.69,1.24). In the older age group, no differences were found on four out of six domains; a moderate positive effect was found for psychomotor speed (d = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.54,0.93), a small negative effect for reaction time (d = -0.47, 95% CI = -0.66,-0.28). Relative to the norm, older football players scored lower than younger football players on all test domains.
Cognitive performance of elite football players may be different from the general population. It is recommended to use football-specific norm scores for comparison with test results of concussed players, and to choose an adequate control group when investigating effects of contact sport on cognition. Studies with older/retired football players are needed to further analyze potential sport-specific age effects.
体育运动中脑震荡的诊断和管理很大程度上依赖于神经认知测试。在缺乏基线评估的情况下，只有普通人群的常模值可用于与脑震荡运动员的分数进行比较。为了评估是否需要（精英）特定运动的常模值，对顶级足球运动员和普通人群的认知表现进行了比较。
使用计算机化测试组合CNS Vital Signs评估了425名顶级足球运动员的认知表现。将运动员分为两个年龄组（15 - 19岁和20 - 29岁），并使用科恩d效应量统计通过年龄标准化分数将测试结果与一个常模样本（n = 268）进行比较。
较年轻的年龄组在所有领域的表现均优于常模样本，在处理速度测试（d = 0.58，95%CI = 0.31,0.85）、认知灵活性（d = 0.27，95%CI = 0.01,0.53）和心理运动速度测试（d = 0.97，95%CI = 0.69,1.24）上有小到中等程度的效应。在较年长的年龄组中，六个领域中的四个没有发现差异；心理运动速度有中等程度的正效应（d = 0.74，95%CI = 0.54,0.93），反应时有小的负效应（d = -0.47，95%CI = -0.66,-0.28）。相对于常模，年长的足球运动员在所有测试领域的得分均低于年轻的足球运动员。
精英足球运动员的认知表现可能与普通人群不同。建议使用特定于足球的常模分数与脑震荡运动员的测试结果进行比较，并在研究接触性运动对认知的影响时选择适当的对照组。需要对年长/退役的足球运动员进行研究，以进一步分析潜在的特定于运动的年龄效应。
