Concussion-Like Symptom Reporting in Non-Concussed Collegiate Athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Concussion-like symptoms can occur in non-concussed individuals, particularly in athletic populations.
• Previous research focused on adolescents; this study examines collegiate athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of concussion-like symptoms in collegiate athletes without diagnosed concussions.
• To explore associations between baseline symptoms, medical history, and concussion recovery time.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of baseline symptom scales (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, 3 Symptom Evaluation [S3SE] and Post-Concussion Scale [PCS]) from 738 collegiate athletes.
• Assessment for International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) postconcussional syndrome and analysis of symptom domains (somatic, cognitive, emotional, sleep).
• Chi-square analyses for medical history associations and t-tests for recovery time in a subset of concussed athletes.

Main Results:

• 16.3% of athletes reported symptoms meeting ICD-10 postconcussional syndrome criteria.
• Women and athletes using the S3SE were more likely to meet these criteria.
• Pre-existing psychiatric disorders and ADHD were associated with emotional and cognitive symptoms, respectively; baseline symptoms predicted longer concussion recovery.

Conclusions:

• A significant rate of non-concussed collegiate athletes report clinically significant concussion-like symptoms.
• Pre-injury medical history and the chosen symptom assessment tool impact symptom reporting and post-concussion recovery.
• The incidence of baseline postconcussional syndrome is influenced by the measurement instrument used.