Does a standardised exercise protocol incorporating a cognitive task provoke postconcussion-like symptoms in healthy individuals?. Issue 3 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Hopin; Sullivan, S. John; Schneiders, Anthony G.
• Is Part Of: Journal of science and medicine in sport. Volume 18:Issue 3(2015:May)
• Page Start: 245
• Page End: 249
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Sports sciences -- Periodicals; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- physiology -- Periodicals; Sports Medicine -- Periodicals; Sportgeneeskunde; 617.102705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2014.04.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1440-2440

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Objectives</title> <p id="spar0005">To explore whether an exercise protocol, alone and in combination with two selected cognitive tasks related to working memory, provokes postconcussion-like symptoms in healthy individuals.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Design</title> <p id="spar0010">Prospective single cohort semi-randomised crossover repeated measures (time × condition) design.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Methods</title> <p id="spar0015">36 healthy individuals completed three submaximal exercise protocol conditions, namely: exercise alone, exercise with the paced auditory serial addition task, and exercise with Tetris. Self-reported symptoms were measured before exercise and 1-min and 15-min after the cessation of each exercise protocol using the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2-Postconcussion symptoms scale.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Results</title> <p id="spar0020">Analysis of variance indicated a significant increase in symptom scores over time (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001), but no effect between conditions (<italic>p</italic> = 0.371) or a significant time × condition interaction (<italic>p</italic> = 0.444).</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0030">Conclusions</title> <p id="spar0025">The combination of working memory tasks and a symptom provoking submaximal exercise protocol did not have an additional effect on the provocation of self-reported symptoms in healthy individuals. Furthermore, the two distinct methods of cognitive load delivery, controlled (paced auditory serial addition task) and pragmatic (Tetris), did not lead to a differential symptom response. These findings provide an initial insight into the scientific foundations for the symptom provocation model that is integral to the currently accepted clinical postconcussion return-to-play protocol.</p> </sec> </abstract>