Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2023
Observational StudyAssociation between serum NfL and GFAP levels and head impact burden in women's collegiate water polo.
Recent investigations have identified water polo athletes as at risk for concussions and repetitive subconcussive head impacts. Head impact exposure in collegiate varsity women's water polo, however, has not yet been longitudinally quantified. We aimed to determine the relationship between cumulative and acute head impact exposure across pre-season training and changes in serum biomarkers of brain injury. ⋯ Acute changes in serum NfL were not associated with head impacts recorded during the two selected scrimmages. Hormonal contraceptive use was associated with lower serum NfL and GFAP levels over time, and elevated salivary levels of progesterone were also associated with lower serum NfL levels. These results suggest that detecting increases in serum NfL may be a useful way to monitor cumulative head impact burden in women's contact sports and that female-specific factors, such as hormonal contraceptive use and circulating progesterone levels, may be neuroprotective, warranting further investigations.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2023
Associations of military service history and health outcomes in the first five years after traumatic brain injury.
For many years, experts have recognized the importance of studying traumatic brain injury (TBI) among active-duty service members and veterans. A majority of this research has been conducted in Veterans Administration (VA) or Department of Defense settings. However, far less is known about military personnel who seek their medical care outside these settings. ⋯ We found specific medical conditions were significantly more prevalent 1 year post-TBI among individuals who had a history of combat deployment (lung disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and sleep disorder), served in post-draft era (chronic pain, liver disease, arthritis), and served >4 years (high cholesterol, PTSD, sleep disorder). Individuals with military history without combat deployment had modestly more favorable cognition and psychological health in the first 5 years post-injury relative to those without military history. Our data suggest that individuals with TBI with military history are heterogeneous, with some favorable and other deleterious health outcomes, relative to their non-military counterparts, which may be driven by characteristics of service, including combat exposure and era of service.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2023
Cognitive impairment and driving skills in youth after concussion.
Abstract Concussions can impact cognitive processes necessary for driving. Young adults, a group who are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, have limited driving experience and a higher rate of motor vehicle collisions; they may be at higher risk for driving impairment after concussion. There are no clear guidelines for return-to-driving following a concussion. ⋯ In addition, neurocognitive test scores significantly predicted TDRT reaction time and miss count with medium to large effect sizes. Results suggest that neurocognitive screening may be a useful tool for predicting capacity to return to drive. However, further research is needed to determine guidelines for how neuropsychological tests can be used to make return to driving recommendations and to evaluate effects of concussion on real world driving.