Journal of athletic training
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Increasing attention is being paid to the deleterious effects of sport-related concussion on cognitive and brain health. ⋯ People with a history of concussion may demonstrate persistent decrements in neurocognitive function, as evidenced by decreased response accuracy, deficits in the allocation of attentional resources, and increased stimulus-response conflict during tasks requiring variable amounts of cognitive control. Neuroelectric measures of cognitive control may be uniquely sensitive to the persistent and selective decrements of concussion.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cervical spine motion during football equipment-removal protocols: a challenge to the all-or-nothing endeavor.
The National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement on acute management of the cervical spine-injured athlete recommended the all-or-nothing endeavor, which involves removing or not removing both helmet and shoulder pads, from equipment-laden American football and ice hockey athletes. However, in supporting research, investigators have not considered alternative protocols. ⋯ The pack-and-fill protocol was more effective than shoulder pad removal in minimizing cervical spine movement throughout the equipment-removal process. This study provides evidence for including the pack-and-fill protocol in future treatment recommendations when helmet removal is necessary for on-field care.
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Bleakley CM, Costello JT, Glasgow PD. Should athletes return to sport after applying ice? A systematic review of the effect of local cooling on functional performance. Sports Med. 2012; 42(1):69-87. ⋯ The authors suggested that the available evidence indicates that athletic performance may be adversely affected when athletes return to play immediately after cryotherapy treatments. Many of the included studies used variable cooling protocols, reflecting differences in time, temperature, and mode of cryotherapy. The majority of the included studies used cryotherapy for at least 20 minutes. However, when considering an immediate return to activity, this cooling duration may not be clinically relevant because cryotherapy applications during practice and competitions usually last less than 20 minutes. When immediate return to activity occurs after cryotherapy, short-duration cold applications or progressive warm-ups should be implemented to prevent a deleterious effect on functional performance.