TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Adolescents with more oculomotor and vestibular signs of sport-related concussion benefit from aerobic exercise: an exploratory analysis JO - Journal of neurotrauma A1 - Corrado, Cathlyn A1 - Willer, Barry Stewart A1 - McPherson, Jacob I. A1 - Storey, Eileen A1 - Sisto, Sue Ann A1 - Master, Tina A1 - Wiebe, Douglas A1 - Grady, Matthew A1 - Mannix, Rebekah A1 - Meehan, William A1 - Leddy, John J. A1 - Haider, Mohammad Nadir SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - Early targeted heart rate (HR) aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the duration of recovery from sport-related concussion (SRC) as well as the incidence of Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms (PPCS). It is not known, however, if more severe oculomotor and vestibular presentations of SRC benefit from a prescription of aerobic exercise. The current study is an exploratory analysis of two published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared aerobic exercise within 10 days of injury with a placebo-like stretching intervention. Combining the two studies yielded a larger sample size to stratify severity of concussion based on the number of abnormal physical examination signs present at the initial office evaluation, which were confirmed with self-reported symptoms and recovery outcomes. The most discriminant cut-off was between those who had ≤ 3 oculomotor and vestibular signs and those who had > 3 signs. Aerobic exercise (Hazard ratio = 0.621 [0.412, 0.936], p = 0.023) reduced recovery times even when controlling for site (Hazard ratio = 0.461 [0.303, 0.701], p < 0.001), severity (Hazard ratio = 0.528 [0.325, 0.858], p = 0.010) and the interaction term of intervention and severity (Hazard ratio = 0.972 [0.495, 1.909], p = 0.935). Adolescents who presented with >3 signs and were assigned to the placebo-like stretching group had a PPCS incidence of 38%, which was the highest of all subgroups (aerobic exercise and ≤ 3 findings: 8%; stretching and ≤ 3 findings: 11%; aerobic exercise and > 3 findings: 21%). This exploratory study provides pilot evidence that prescribed sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise treatment early after SRC may be effective for adolescents with more oculomotor and vestibular physical examination signs and should be validated in future adequately powered trials.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0897-7151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/neu.2022.0225 ID - ref1 ER -