Kraus Nina, Colegrove Danielle, Otto-Meyer Rembrandt, Bonacina Silvia, Nicol Trent, Cunningham Jenna, Krizman Jennifer
Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Exerc Sport Mov. 2023 Summer;1(3):1-4. doi: 10.1249/esm.0000000000000011. Epub 2023 Jun 28.
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that an objective measure of auditory processing reveals a history of head trauma that does not meet the clinical definition of concussion.
Division I collegiate student-athletes ( = 709) across 19 sports were divided into groups, based on their sport, using prevailing classifications of "contact" (317 males, 212 females) and "noncontact" (58 males, 122 females). Participants were evaluated using the frequency-following response (FFR) to speech. The amplitude of FFR activity in a frequency band corresponding to the fundamental frequency (F0)-the voice pitch-of the speech stimulus, an outcome reduced in individuals with concussions, was critically examined.
We found main effects of contact level and sex. The FFR-F0 was smaller in contact athletes than noncontact athletes and larger in females than males. There was a contact by sex interaction, with the FFR-F0 of males in the contact group being smaller than the three other groups. Secondary analyses found a correlation between FFR-F0 and length of participation in contact sports in male athletes.
These findings suggest that the disruption of sensory processing in the brain can be observed in individuals without a concussion but whose sport features regular physical contact. This evidence identifies sound processing in the brain as an objective marker of subconcussion in athletes.
引言/目的：我们检验了这样一种假设，即听觉处理的客观测量能够揭示出不符合脑震荡临床定义的头部创伤史。
来自19项运动的一级大学学生运动员（n = 709），根据他们的运动项目，采用“接触性”（317名男性，212名女性）和“非接触性”（58名男性，122名女性）的现行分类方法分为不同组。使用对语音的频率跟随反应（FFR）对参与者进行评估。对与语音刺激的基频（F0）——语音音高——相对应的频段内FFR活动的幅度进行了严格检查，脑震荡患者的这一结果会降低。
我们发现了接触水平和性别的主效应。接触性运动员的FFR - F0比非接触性运动员小，女性的比男性大。存在接触水平与性别之间的交互作用，接触组男性的FFR - F0比其他三组小。二次分析发现男性运动员的FFR - F0与参与接触性运动的时长之间存在相关性。
这些发现表明，在没有脑震荡但运动项目具有常规身体接触特点的个体中，可以观察到大脑感觉处理的中断。这一证据将大脑中的声音处理确定为运动员亚脑震荡的一个客观标志物。
