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Dissertation
Assessment paradigm of sports-related concussions: program implementation, incidence, severity and recovery trajectories in collegiate athletes
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2004
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-339
Abstract
Sports-related injuries represent approximately 20% of the estimated 1.54 million head injuries that occur yearly in the United States. With as many as 216,000 sports-related concussions occurring each year in the United States alone, and between 2% and 10% of all athletes at risk for sustaining a concussion it is reasonable to say that sports-related concussion is a public health concern. While the literature is replete with writings about how to define concussion, understand the mechanisms of concussion and appropriately assess concussed individuals for neurocognitive deficits, there are several areas that necessitate further scientific inquiry. Issues compounding concussive injuries can include a history of multiple concussions, neurocognitive deficits, learning disabilities, age and gender. All of these issues have the potential of facilitating a concussive injury or exacerbating residual deficits following one. The ever-expanding area of athletic team evaluations, which can be costly, time consuming, and restricted to expert knowledge, is worthy of exploration. Typically, an assessment paradigm, which includes baseline and serial post-concussion testing, is favored in order to allow each athlete to act as his or her own experimental control. There has been much debate, however, as to the ideal timeline for serial post-concussion testing that would allow for neurocognitive deficits to be effectively captured. Overall, the current study proposes to examine several areas of sports-related concussion including the type of assessment paradigm utilizing computerized assessment at baseline and several serial post-concussion intervals, the prevalence of sports-related concussion among collegiate varsity and club athletes, the severity of sports-related concussive injuries and recovery trajectories. Lastly, the extent to which gender differences exist in the prevalence and severity of concussions and recovery trajectories following sports-related concussions will be explored.
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Details
- Title
- Assessment paradigm of sports-related concussions
- Creators
- Catherine Irene Kaminaris McKeever - DU
- Contributors
- Eric Zillmer (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 339; 991014632346204721