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Updated: Dec 27, 2025
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
Published on: December 8, 2014
Concussion Symptoms Among Athletes: Preinjury Factors Predict Postinjury Factors
Aaron M Sinnott1, Anthony P Kontos, Michael W Collins
1Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Warrior Human Performance Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Mr Sinnott); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Drs Kontos and Collins); and Kinesiology and Recreation Administration, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California (Dr Ortega).
Objective:
Determine whether preinjury concussion symptom factors predict postinjury concussion symptom factors.
Setting:
Community concussion surveillance program between 2008 and 2017.
Participants:
A total of 290 high school and collegiate-aged athletes (n = 168, aged 14-17 years; n = 122, aged 18-21 years, respectively).
Design:
Retrospective analysis.
Main Measures:
Post-Concussion Symptom Scale scores prior to and within 7 days of sustaining a sport-related concussion.
Methods:
Post-Concussion Symptom Scale scores were aggregated into cognitive-sensory, sleep-arousal, vestibular-somatic, and affective preinjury symptom factors. These preinjury symptom factors, in conjunction with sex and previous concussion history, underwent linear regressions to predict cognitive-migraine-fatigue, somatic, sleep, and affective postinjury symptom factors.
Results:
The cognitive-sensory factor (P = .002) and female sex (P = .002) predicted the postinjury cognitive-migraine-fatigue factor in combined age group but not stratified age group models. Among the 14 to 17 years age group, and not the 18 to 21 years age group, the preinjury sleep-arousal symptom factor predicted postinjury somatic (P = .003) and sleep factors (P = .005). The affective preinjury factor predicted the affective factor (P = .001) and somatic factor (P = .008) in the 18 to 21 years age group. A history of previous concussions also predicted the postinjury somatic symptom factor (P = .005).
Conclusion:
Preinjury symptom factors predicted postinjury symptom factors and age-associated differences in symptom factors may provide clinical value in prognostic models for subsequent postinjury clinical outcomes.
