@article{ref1,
title="Subconcussive blows to the head: a formative review of short-term clinical outcomes",
journal="Journal of head trauma rehabilitation",
year="2015",
author="Belanger, Heather G. and Vanderploeg, Rodney D. and McAllister, Thomas",
volume="31",
number="3",
pages="159-166",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Given questions about &quot;lower thresholds&quot; for concussion, as well as possible effects of repetitive concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and associated controversy, there is increasing interest in &quot;subconcussive&quot; blows and their potential significance. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: A formative review with critical examination of the developing literature on subconcussive blows in athletes with an emphasis on clinical outcomes. <br><br>METHODS: Studies of biomechanical, performance and/or symptom-based, and neuroimaging data were identified via PubMed search and critically reviewed. Five studies of symptom reporting/performance and 4 studies of neuroimaging were included. <br><br>RESULTS: The relation between biomechanical parameters and diagnosed concussion is not straightforward (ie, it is not the case that greater and more force leads to more severe injury or cognitive/behavioral sequelae). Neuropsychological studies of subconcussive blows within a single athletic season have failed to demonstrate any strong and consistent relations between number and severity of subconcussive events and cognitive change. Recent studies using neuroimaging have demonstrated a potential cumulative effect of subconcussive blows, at least in a subset of individuals. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Human studies of the neurological/neuropsychological impact of subconcussive blows are currently quite limited. Subconcussive blows, in the short-term, have not been shown to cause significant clinical effects. To date, findings suggest that any effect of subconcussive blows is likely to be small or nonexistent, perhaps evident in a subset of individuals on select measures, and maybe even beneficial in some cases. Longer-term prospective studies are needed to determine if there is a cumulative dose effect.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0885-9701",
doi="10.1097/HTR.0000000000000138",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0000000000000138"
}