Authors

1. Walton, Samuel R. PhD
2. Broshek, Donna K. PhD
3. Kranz, Sibylle PhD
4. Malin, Steven K. PhD
5. Hertel, Jay PhD
6. Resch, Jacob E. PhD

Abstract

Objective: To measure alterations in mood, psychological, and behavioral factors in collegiate athletes throughout recovery from sport concussion (SC) compared with matched controls.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Participants: Twenty (55% female) division I collegiate athletes with SC (19.3 +/- 1.08 years old, 1.77 +/- 0.11 m, 79.6 +/- 23.37 kg) and 20 (55% female) uninjured matched controls (20.8 +/- 2.17 years old, 1.77 +/- 0.10 m, 81.9 +/- 23.45 kg).

Design: Longitudinal case control.

Main Measures: Self-reported concussion-related symptoms, anxiety, resilience, stigma, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and appetite were assessed at 3 time points in the SC group: T₁ (<=72 hours of SC), T₂ (7 days after T₁), and T_F (after symptom resolution). Control participants were evaluated at similar intervals. Group and group-by-sex differences were assessed using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Post hoc analyses were performed with Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) and paired-sample t tests.

Results: The SC group had greater sleep disturbance than controls at T₁ (P = .001; d = 1.21) and endorsed greater stigma at all time points (P <= .03; d >= 0.80). Stigma (F₍₂₎ = 3.68; P = 0.03; [eta]²_p = 0.12), sleep disturbance (F₍₂₎ = 5.27; P = .008; [eta]²_p = 0.15), and fatigue (F₍₂₎ = 3.46; P = .04; [eta]²_p = 0.11) improved throughout recovery in those with SC only. No differences were observed between males and females (P > .05).

Conclusion: Sleep disturbance and stigma were negatively affected by SC, highlighting potential areas for clinical interventions to maximize recovery in males and females.