008 Is inferior dual-task performance a risk factor for injury in youth soccer? A prospective study. (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wezenbeek, Evi; Pieters, Dries; Schuermans, Joke; Willems, Tine; Witvrouw, Erik
• Is Part Of: British journal of sports medicine. Volume 54(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A4
• Page End: A4
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: Sports medicine -- Periodicals; 617.1027
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-IOCAbstracts.8
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-3674

Abstract

Abstract : Background: The effects of cognitive performance on injury incidence have barely been researched. Nevertheless, athletes often encounter situations where they must perform cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously, so-called dual-tasking, whereby interference between tasks occurs. This dual-task interference could be associated with a less adequate response to avoid an injury. Objective: Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify inferior dual-task performance as a risk factor for injury in youth soccer. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Youth soccer players of two Belgian elite teams were tested on the field. To examine the effects of dual-task interference on soccer specific game situations the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test was performed in both a single and a dual-task condition. This resulted in two scores and these were subtracted in order to acquire a dual-task decrement. Participants: 130 youth soccer players (mean age 12.8±1.7 years) were included in this study. Assessment of risk factors: Cox regression analyses, corrected for age, were performed to identify dual-task decrement as significant contributor to the development of injuries. Main outcome measurements: During a period of six consecutive months, injuries and time of exposure were registered for each player individually. Results: During the follow-up period, 42 of the 130 (32%) included players developed an injury that resulted in a mean time loss of 16.12±22.87 days. The overall injury incidence was 2.86 per 1000 athlete-exposure hours. The performance in both single and dual task conditions improved with age. Meanwhile, the distribution of dual task decrement parameters remained relatively constant across all age groups. Survival analyses revealed no significant predictive effects for dual task interference. Age, however, did significantly contribute to the prediction of injuries (p=0.011). More specifically, older players were more at risk to develop an injury. Conclusions: Inferior dual-task performance was not associated with an increased risk for injury in youth soccer.