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Journal Article

Citation

Berkner J, Meehan WP, Master CL, Howell DR. J. Athl. Train. 2017; 52(12): 1089-1095.

Affiliation

Sports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopedics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, National Athletic Trainers' Association (USA))

DOI

10.4085/1062-6050-52.11.23

PMID

29154694

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:   To prospectively examine adolescent athletes' gait and quiet-stance performance while concurrently completing a cognitive task acutely after concussion and after symptom resolution. SETTING:   Sport concussion clinic.

DESIGN:   Participants diagnosed with a concussion completed a symptom inventory and single- and dual-task quiet-stance and gait evaluations within 21 days of injury and then again after symptom resolution. Gait and postural-control measurements were quantified using an inertial sensor system and analyzed using multivariate analyses of covariance. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:   Thirty-seven athletes (age = 16.2 ± 3.1 years; 54% female) were diagnosed with a concussion, and their performance was compared with that of a group of 44 uninjured control participants (age = 15.0 ± 2.0 years; 57% female). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):   Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, single-task and dual-task gait measures, quiet-stance measures, and cognitive task performance.

RESULTS:   At the initial postinjury examination, single-task gait stride length (1.16 ± 0.14 versus 1.25 ± 0.13 m, P =.003) and dual-task gait stride length (1.02 ± 0.13 m versus 1.10 ± 0.13 m, P =.011) for the concussion group compared with the control group, respectively, was shorter. After symptom resolution, no single-task gait differences were found, but the concussion group demonstrated a shorter stride length (0.99 ± 0.15 m versus 1.10 ± 0.13 m, P =.003), slower gait velocity (0.78 ± 0.15 m/s versus 0.92 ± 0.14 m/s, P =.005), and lower cadence (92.5 ± 12.2 steps/min versus 99.3 ± 7.8 steps/min, P <.001) during dual-task gait than the control group. No between-group differences were detected during quiet stance at either time point.

CONCLUSIONS:   Acutely after concussion, single-task and dual-task stride-length alterations were present among youth athletes compared with a control group. Although single-task gait alterations were not detected after symptom resolution, dual-task gait differences persisted, suggesting that dual-task gait alterations may persist longer after concussion than single-task gait or objective quiet-stance alterations. Dual-task gait assessments may, therefore, be a useful component in monitoring concussion recovery after symptom resolution.


Language: en

Keywords

concussion; dual-task gait; symptom recovery

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