Clinical Changes in Cervical Neuromuscular Control Following Subconcussive Impacts

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Subconcussive impacts, not just concussions, may increase musculoskeletal injury risk due to altered neuromuscular control.
• Vestibular and oculomotor pathways are implicated, but cervical neuromuscular control following subconcussive impacts remains understudied.
• Previous research focused on vestibular and oculomotor tests to predict injury risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical utility of a novel method for measuring cervical neuromuscular control changes after subconcussive impacts.
• To assess if cervical joint position error can detect alterations in neuromuscular control in a controlled laboratory setting.

Main Methods:

• A repeated-measures laboratory design was used with 40 female collegiate soccer players.
• Participants underwent interventions including soccer headers, a fatigue protocol, or both.
• Cervical joint position error, Neck Disability Index, and head acceleration were measured.

Main Results:

• Soccer heading, fatigue, and combined interventions increased cervical joint position error by 65%, 54%, and 49%, respectively.
• A control group showed a 6% decrease in neck position error.
• Cervical joint position error testing detected decreased coordination but lacked specificity to rule out exercise effects.

Conclusions:

• Subconcussive head impacts in soccer can alter cervical neuromuscular control.
• Cervical joint position error testing is sensitive to these changes but requires further validation for specificity.
• More research is needed to understand the clinical utility of cervical tests for predicting injury risk from subconcussive impacts.