Citation

Cook NE, Gaudet CE, Kissinger-Knox A, Liu BC, Hunter AA, Norman MA, Saadi A, Iverson GL. Front. Neurol. 2023; 14: e1110539.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fneur.2023.1110539

PMID

37388549

PMCID

PMC10306165

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This systematic review examined whether race or ethnicity are associated with clinical outcomes (e.g., time to return to school/sports, symptom duration, vestibular deficits, and neurocognitive functioning) following sport-related concussion among child, adolescent, or college-aged student athletes. Additionally, this review assessed whether the existing literature on this topic incorporated or included broader coverage of social determinants of health.

METHODS: The online databases PubMed, MEDLINE(®), PsycINFO(®), CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched.

RESULTS: A total of 5,118 abstracts were screened and 12 studies met inclusion criteria, including 2,887 youth and young adults. Among the included articles, only 3 studies (25%) examined whether race and ethnicity were associated with outcomes following concussion as a primary objective. None of the studies assessed the association between social determinants of health and outcomes following concussion as a primary objective, although 5 studies (41.7%) addressed a social determinant of health or closely related topic as a secondary objective.

DISCUSSION: Overall, the literature to date is extremely limited and insufficient for drawing conclusions about whether race or ethnicity are categorically associated with outcomes from sport-related concussion, or more specifically, whether there are socioeconomic, structural, or cultural differences or disparities that might be associated with clinical outcome.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: identifier: PROSPERO, CRD42016041479, CRD42019128300.

Language: en

Keywords

concussion; race; mild traumatic brain injury; social determinants of health (SDOH); clinical recovery; ethnicity