Removal From Play After Concussion and Recovery Time

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Sport-related concussions (SRCs) remain a concern in athletes despite increased awareness.
• The impact of continuing to play with SRC symptoms on recovery is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare recovery time and outcomes between athletes immediately removed from play versus those who continued playing with an SRC.
• To investigate the association between playing status and SRC recovery duration.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, repeated measures design comparing two groups of adolescent athletes.
• Neurocognitive performance and symptom data collected at baseline, 1-7 days, and 8-30 days post-SRC.

Main Results:

• Athletes who continued playing (PLAYED group) had significantly longer recovery times (44.4 days) than those removed (REMOVED group, 22.0 days).
• The PLAYED group was 8.8 times more likely to have protracted recovery (≥21 days) and showed worse neurocognitive function and greater symptoms.
• Immediate removal from play was the strongest predictor of protracted recovery (aOR, 14.27).

Conclusions:

• Immediate removal from play can significantly reduce SRC recovery time.
• These findings support current guidelines recommending immediate removal of athletes exhibiting SRC signs and symptoms.
• Prioritizing athlete safety through prompt removal is crucial for mitigating prolonged concussion recovery.