Journal of athletic training
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The tandem gait test is a method for assessing dynamic postural control and part of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, versions 3 and 5. However, its reliability among child and adolescent athletes has yet to be established. ⋯ Tandem gait outcome measures demonstrated high test-retest reliability in both the single- and dual-task conditions. The overall reliability was within the acceptable range for clinical practice, but improvements across tests suggested a moderate practice effect. Tandem gait represents a reliable, dynamic, postural-control test that requires minimal space, cost, and time.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Relationship Between the King-Devick Test and Commonly Used Concussion Tests at Baseline.
Comprehensive assessments are recommended to evaluate sport-related concussion (SRC). The degree to which the King-Devick (KD) test adds novel information to an SRC evaluation is unknown. ⋯ Better performance on cognitive measures involving concentration, visual motor speed, and reaction time was weakly associated with better baseline KD performance. Symptoms, psychological distress, balance, and vestibular-oculomotor provocation were unrelated to KD performance at baseline. The findings indicate limited overlap at baseline among the CARE SRC assessments and the KD.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Predicting Recovery Patterns After Sport-Related Concussion.
Clinicians sometimes treat concussed individuals who have amnesia, loss of consciousness (LOC), a concussion history, or certain symptom types more conservatively, but it is unclear whether recovery patterns differ in individuals with these characteristics. ⋯ Athletes who experienced amnesia had more symptoms and greater deficits in cognition and balance. Symptoms and cognitive or balance deficits were not consistently associated with LOC or concussion history. Acute symptoms had a strong influence on balance scores and, to a lesser extent, on cognition. However, we found no evidence to support more cautious return-to-play decisions for athletes with these characteristics, as group recovery occurred within normal timelines. Our study supports current clinical practice: recommending that athletes be withheld from activity until they are asymptomatic, followed by a graduated return-to-play progression.
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Multicenter Study
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletic trainers' concussion-management practice patterns.
A cornerstone of the recent consensus statements on concussion is a multifaceted concussion-assessment program at baseline and postinjury and when tracking recovery. Earlier studies of athletic trainers' (ATs') practice patterns found limited use of multifaceted protocols; however, these authors typically grouped diverse athletic training settings together. ⋯ Athletic trainers in NCAA Division I demonstrated widespread use of multifaceted concussion-assessment techniques and appeared compliant with recent consensus statements and the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook.
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Multicenter Study
High school automated external defibrillator programs as markers of emergency preparedness for sudden cardiac arrest.
School-based automated external defibrillator (AED) programs have demonstrated a high survival rate for individuals suffering sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in US high schools. ⋯ High schools with AED programs were more likely to establish a comprehensive emergency response plan for SCA. Implementing school-based AED programs is a key step associated with emergency planning for young athletes with SCA.