A case study investigation of the neuropsychological profile of a rugby player with a history of multiple concussions
- Authors: Case, Stephanie
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Rugby football injuries , Brain -- Concussion -- Complications , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3165 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007727 , Rugby football injuries , Brain -- Concussion -- Complications , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Description: sustained multiple concussions may be at risk of cumulative impairment. The role of neuropsychological testing in the management of sports-related concussion is a contentious and challenging issue which has gained credibility given the lack of clear and well-established guidelines pertaining to the diagnosis, assessment and return-to-play decisions following concussion. Despite various traditional paper and pencil tests being shown to be effective indicators of postconcussive neuropsychological dysfunction, testing has not been widely implemented, due to time- and labour-demands. ImPACT, a computer-based neuropsychological assessment instrument, has been recognised as a valid and reliable tool in the monitoring of athletes' symptoms and neurocognitive functioning preseason and postconcussion. As a part of larger-scale concussion research conducted on top-team university rugby players, this is an in-depth case study conducted on a 20-year old participant with a history of multiple concussions, who was referred following a concussion sustained during the season. The objectives of the study were: (i) to determine the sensitivity of ImPACT versus WAIS-III Digit Span and Trail Making Test during the acute postconcussive phase; and (ii) to examine the sensitivity of ImPACT versus a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to possible residual deficits as a result of the multiple concussions. ImPACT was determined to be more sensitive to acute postconcussive impairment following concussion than Digit Span and Trail Making Test. Furthermore, the ImPACT preseason baseline scores appear to be sensitive to neurocognitive dysfunction, possibly due to cumulative concussive injuries.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Case, Stephanie
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Rugby football injuries , Brain -- Concussion -- Complications , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3165 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007727 , Rugby football injuries , Brain -- Concussion -- Complications , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Description: sustained multiple concussions may be at risk of cumulative impairment. The role of neuropsychological testing in the management of sports-related concussion is a contentious and challenging issue which has gained credibility given the lack of clear and well-established guidelines pertaining to the diagnosis, assessment and return-to-play decisions following concussion. Despite various traditional paper and pencil tests being shown to be effective indicators of postconcussive neuropsychological dysfunction, testing has not been widely implemented, due to time- and labour-demands. ImPACT, a computer-based neuropsychological assessment instrument, has been recognised as a valid and reliable tool in the monitoring of athletes' symptoms and neurocognitive functioning preseason and postconcussion. As a part of larger-scale concussion research conducted on top-team university rugby players, this is an in-depth case study conducted on a 20-year old participant with a history of multiple concussions, who was referred following a concussion sustained during the season. The objectives of the study were: (i) to determine the sensitivity of ImPACT versus WAIS-III Digit Span and Trail Making Test during the acute postconcussive phase; and (ii) to examine the sensitivity of ImPACT versus a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to possible residual deficits as a result of the multiple concussions. ImPACT was determined to be more sensitive to acute postconcussive impairment following concussion than Digit Span and Trail Making Test. Furthermore, the ImPACT preseason baseline scores appear to be sensitive to neurocognitive dysfunction, possibly due to cumulative concussive injuries.
- Full Text:
"Feeling foggy?": an investigation into the self-reported post-concussive symptoms in rugby union players at university level
- Authors: Boulind, Melissa
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2938 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002447 , Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
- Description: A study was conducted on the self-reported symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury sustained in Rugby Union at the pre- and post-season stages. A full sample of 30 rugby players at Rhodes University was compared to 27 non-contact sport controls. A reduced sample of 20 rugby players and 9 control participants provided improved control for education and IQ and was compared. Measures included the WAIS-III Vocabulary and Picture Completion Sub-tests to estimate IQ level, the symptom checklist on a widely used computer-based program (ImPACT), and a paper and pencil self-report 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire. Independent and Dependent T-Test comparisons were conducted on the full and reduced samples. The symptoms reported by the rugby group appeared to be more pronounced on both the ImPACT Symptom Scale and the 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire when compared to the control group at both the pre-and post-season stages. It was concluded that the rugby players demonstrated evidence to support the hypothesis of having sustained more previous concussions and reporting more symptoms at the pre-season stage when compared to comtrol participants. No prevalent changes for either the rugby or control groups were seen in dependent comparisons from pre-to post-season.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Boulind, Melissa
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2938 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002447 , Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
- Description: A study was conducted on the self-reported symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury sustained in Rugby Union at the pre- and post-season stages. A full sample of 30 rugby players at Rhodes University was compared to 27 non-contact sport controls. A reduced sample of 20 rugby players and 9 control participants provided improved control for education and IQ and was compared. Measures included the WAIS-III Vocabulary and Picture Completion Sub-tests to estimate IQ level, the symptom checklist on a widely used computer-based program (ImPACT), and a paper and pencil self-report 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire. Independent and Dependent T-Test comparisons were conducted on the full and reduced samples. The symptoms reported by the rugby group appeared to be more pronounced on both the ImPACT Symptom Scale and the 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire when compared to the control group at both the pre-and post-season stages. It was concluded that the rugby players demonstrated evidence to support the hypothesis of having sustained more previous concussions and reporting more symptoms at the pre-season stage when compared to comtrol participants. No prevalent changes for either the rugby or control groups were seen in dependent comparisons from pre-to post-season.
- Full Text:
A case study investigation into the utility of baseline data versus normative data using a computer-based concussion management programme
- Authors: Mitchell, Julia
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Brain -- Concussion , Neuropsychological tests , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3021 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002530 , Brain -- Concussion , Neuropsychological tests , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications
- Description: Neuropsychological testing is recognised as one of the cornerstones of concussion evaluation, contributing significantly to both an understanding of the injury as well as management of the recovery process. Despite the high incidence of concussion at school level, traditional paper-and-pencil neuropsychological testing has generally been absent from school concussion management programmes, largely due to time and cost constraints. Now, the recent development of computerised neuropsychological testing is providing the opportunity for including neurocognitive assessment in this process. The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a valid and reliable instrument of this type and normed on 13 - 18 year old North American high school athletes, as well as adult groups. The current recommendation is that athletes are baselined preseason in order to provide an individualised comparative level against which to monitor recovery and provide return-to-play recommendations. This in itself is quite a cumbersome process, thus the present study set out to ascertain whether baseline testing of all athletes is necessary, or whether the use of US or SA normative data alone would provide an appropriate standard against which to interpret the postinjury scores. From a leading South African rugby playing school, the 1st and 2nd rugby teams, (16 - 18 years) were baselined using ImPACT. Three athletes, who were subsequently referred with concussion during the rugby season, were followed up with serial testing on ImPACT. An analysis of the follow up scores was conducted to chart the athletes' recovery process, in relation to the athletes own baseline scores (using US and SA reliable change indices) and age appropriate US and SA normative ranges. The relative utility of individual baselines scores versus these normative ranges was then critically evaluated. It was concluded that a combination of both baseline and normative data provided optimal management of the athlete, with the methods complementing each other in the interpretation of post-injury results. Overall, the SA normative ranges seemed to provide slightly better management guidelines than the US normative ranges when used with this sample of South African high school athletes.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mitchell, Julia
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Brain -- Concussion , Neuropsychological tests , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3021 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002530 , Brain -- Concussion , Neuropsychological tests , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications
- Description: Neuropsychological testing is recognised as one of the cornerstones of concussion evaluation, contributing significantly to both an understanding of the injury as well as management of the recovery process. Despite the high incidence of concussion at school level, traditional paper-and-pencil neuropsychological testing has generally been absent from school concussion management programmes, largely due to time and cost constraints. Now, the recent development of computerised neuropsychological testing is providing the opportunity for including neurocognitive assessment in this process. The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a valid and reliable instrument of this type and normed on 13 - 18 year old North American high school athletes, as well as adult groups. The current recommendation is that athletes are baselined preseason in order to provide an individualised comparative level against which to monitor recovery and provide return-to-play recommendations. This in itself is quite a cumbersome process, thus the present study set out to ascertain whether baseline testing of all athletes is necessary, or whether the use of US or SA normative data alone would provide an appropriate standard against which to interpret the postinjury scores. From a leading South African rugby playing school, the 1st and 2nd rugby teams, (16 - 18 years) were baselined using ImPACT. Three athletes, who were subsequently referred with concussion during the rugby season, were followed up with serial testing on ImPACT. An analysis of the follow up scores was conducted to chart the athletes' recovery process, in relation to the athletes own baseline scores (using US and SA reliable change indices) and age appropriate US and SA normative ranges. The relative utility of individual baselines scores versus these normative ranges was then critically evaluated. It was concluded that a combination of both baseline and normative data provided optimal management of the athlete, with the methods complementing each other in the interpretation of post-injury results. Overall, the SA normative ranges seemed to provide slightly better management guidelines than the US normative ranges when used with this sample of South African high school athletes.
- Full Text:
Cumulative mild head injury in contact sport: a comparison of the cognitive profiles of rugby players and non-contact sport controls with normative data
- Authors: Bold, Lisa Clare
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2935 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002444 , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Description: This study investigates the effects of cumulative mild head injury on the cognitive functioning of elite rugby players. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to top national (Springbok) rugby players (n=26), national Under 21 rugby players (n= 19), and a non-contact sport control group of national hockey players (n=21). The test results of the Total Rugby group (Springbok Rugby and Under 21 Rugby players), the Under 21 Rugby group, the hockey controls, and the Total Rugby and Under 21 Rugby forward and backline players respectively, were each compared with established normative data. Results showed significant differences in the direction of a poorer performance relative to the norms for the Total Rugby and Under 21 Rugby groups, and for the Total Rugby Forwards and Under 21 Rugby Forwards, on tests sensitive to the effects of diffuse brain damage. On the other hand, the Hockey Control group and the Total Rugby Backs and Under 21 Rugby Backs tended to perform within the normal range or better than the norm on some tests. These results confirm the hypothesis that rugby players, and the forward players in particular, are at risk of adverse cognitive effects consequent on cumulative mild head injury. The theoretical implications are that the aggregate effects of multiple exposures to mild head injuries in the rugby players served to reduce their brain reserve capacities and acted as a threshold-lowering influence associated with symptom onset.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bold, Lisa Clare
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2935 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002444 , Head -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Neuropsychological tests , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects
- Description: This study investigates the effects of cumulative mild head injury on the cognitive functioning of elite rugby players. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to top national (Springbok) rugby players (n=26), national Under 21 rugby players (n= 19), and a non-contact sport control group of national hockey players (n=21). The test results of the Total Rugby group (Springbok Rugby and Under 21 Rugby players), the Under 21 Rugby group, the hockey controls, and the Total Rugby and Under 21 Rugby forward and backline players respectively, were each compared with established normative data. Results showed significant differences in the direction of a poorer performance relative to the norms for the Total Rugby and Under 21 Rugby groups, and for the Total Rugby Forwards and Under 21 Rugby Forwards, on tests sensitive to the effects of diffuse brain damage. On the other hand, the Hockey Control group and the Total Rugby Backs and Under 21 Rugby Backs tended to perform within the normal range or better than the norm on some tests. These results confirm the hypothesis that rugby players, and the forward players in particular, are at risk of adverse cognitive effects consequent on cumulative mild head injury. The theoretical implications are that the aggregate effects of multiple exposures to mild head injuries in the rugby players served to reduce their brain reserve capacities and acted as a threshold-lowering influence associated with symptom onset.
- Full Text:
The scrum-down on brain damage effects of cumulative mild head injury in rugby: a comparison of group mean scores between national rugby players and non-contact sport controls
- Authors: Finkelstein, Melissa
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Sports injuries , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Neuropsychological tests , Rugby football injuries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:2976 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002485 , Sports injuries , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Neuropsychological tests , Rugby football injuries
- Description: The present study comprises the second phase of a larger and ongoing research study investigating the brain damage effects of cumulative mild head injury in rugby. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cumulative mild head injury sustained in the game of rugby would cause brain injury as evidenced by impaired performance on sensitive neuropsychological tests. Participants were Springbok professional rugby players (n = 26), Under 21 rugby players (n = 19), and a non-contact sport control of national hockey players (n = 21). Comparisons of performance were carried out across a spectrum of neuropsychological tests for the three rugby groups (Total Rugby, Springbok Rugby, and Under 21 Rugby) versus the performance of the non-contact sport control group (Hockey Control), as well as comparisons of performance f9r the subgroups of Rugby Forwards versus Rugby Backs. Comparisons revealed a consistent pattern of poorer performance across all rugby groups relative to the performance of the controls on tests highly sensitive to the effects of diffuse brain damage. Within rugby group comparisons (Forwards versus Backs) showed significantly poorer performance for Total Rugby Forwards and Springbok Rugby Forwards relative to the performance of the respective Total Rugby Backs and Springbok Rugby Backs on sensitive, as well as on somewhat less sensitive, neuropsychological tests. The performance of Under 21 Rugby Forwards relative to Under 21 Rugby Backs demonstrated similar trends. Brain reserve capacity theory was used as a conceptual basis for discussing the implications of these findings.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Finkelstein, Melissa
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Sports injuries , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Neuropsychological tests , Rugby football injuries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:2976 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002485 , Sports injuries , Head -- Wounds and injuries , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Neuropsychological tests , Rugby football injuries
- Description: The present study comprises the second phase of a larger and ongoing research study investigating the brain damage effects of cumulative mild head injury in rugby. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cumulative mild head injury sustained in the game of rugby would cause brain injury as evidenced by impaired performance on sensitive neuropsychological tests. Participants were Springbok professional rugby players (n = 26), Under 21 rugby players (n = 19), and a non-contact sport control of national hockey players (n = 21). Comparisons of performance were carried out across a spectrum of neuropsychological tests for the three rugby groups (Total Rugby, Springbok Rugby, and Under 21 Rugby) versus the performance of the non-contact sport control group (Hockey Control), as well as comparisons of performance f9r the subgroups of Rugby Forwards versus Rugby Backs. Comparisons revealed a consistent pattern of poorer performance across all rugby groups relative to the performance of the controls on tests highly sensitive to the effects of diffuse brain damage. Within rugby group comparisons (Forwards versus Backs) showed significantly poorer performance for Total Rugby Forwards and Springbok Rugby Forwards relative to the performance of the respective Total Rugby Backs and Springbok Rugby Backs on sensitive, as well as on somewhat less sensitive, neuropsychological tests. The performance of Under 21 Rugby Forwards relative to Under 21 Rugby Backs demonstrated similar trends. Brain reserve capacity theory was used as a conceptual basis for discussing the implications of these findings.
- Full Text:
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »