Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, 349 Tower at STAR, 100 Discovery Blvd, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA.
Sports Med. 2019 Mar;49(3):477-487. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01069-x.
Repetitive head impacts in young athletes are potentially detrimental to later life (e.g., age 50 + years) neurological function; however, it is unknown what the short-term effects (e.g., age 20 years) are in collegiate student-athletes.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the estimated age of first exposure to American tackle football participation on neurocognitive performance and symptom severity scores in collegiate student-athletes.
We used a cohort study in which neurocognitive performance was assessed using the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test in 4376 male athletes (age 19.3 ± 1.5 years, mass 96.3 ± 20.3 kg, height 185.0 ± 7.4 cm). Athletes were grouped by sport participation [American football (n = 3462) or non-contact (n = 914)] and estimated age of first exposure [< 12 years (n = 3022) or ≥ 12 years (n = 1354)]. The outcome measures were the four primary cognitive scores and the symptom severity score from ImPACT. We assessed primary outcomes across groups, controlling for age, learning accommodations, and concussion history.
Neurocognitive performance was not associated with the estimated age of first exposure-by-group interaction.
Our findings indicate that participation in American tackle football before age 12 years does not result in neurocognitive deficits in college. Therefore, we suggest the following: the consequences of early exposure to repetitive head impacts do not manifest by college, the ImPACT test was not sensitive enough to identify the effects of an earlier estimated age of first exposure, or there is no association between an earlier estimated age of first exposure and neurocognitive functioning. Future longitudinal studies are warranted.
在年轻运动员中，反复头部撞击可能对以后的生活（例如 50 岁以上）的神经功能造成损害；然而，目前尚不清楚在大学生运动员中，短期（例如 20 岁）的影响是什么。
本研究旨在确定首次接触美式腰旗橄榄球的年龄估计对大学生运动员神经认知表现和症状严重程度评分的影响。
我们采用队列研究，通过即时后 concussion 评估和认知测试（ImPACT）对 4376 名男性运动员（年龄 19.3±1.5 岁，体重 96.3±20.3kg，身高 185.0±7.4cm）进行神经认知表现评估。运动员按运动项目分组[美式足球（n=3462）或非接触（n=914）]和首次接触年龄估计[<12 岁（n=3022）或≥12 岁（n=1354）]。主要结局指标是 ImPACT 的四个主要认知评分和症状严重程度评分。我们评估了各组的主要结局，控制了年龄、学习适应和 concussion 病史。
神经认知表现与首次接触年龄估计的组间交互作用无关。
我们的研究结果表明，12 岁前参与美式腰旗橄榄球不会导致大学生运动员的神经认知缺陷。因此，我们建议：早期反复头部撞击的后果不会在大学期间表现出来，ImPACT 测试不够敏感，无法识别早期首次接触估计年龄的影响，或者早期首次接触估计年龄与神经认知功能之间没有关联。需要进行未来的纵向研究。
