796 MEP001 – Examining the role of cognition in lower body musculoskeletal and concussion injury risk in elite athletes

AbstractBackground Recent evidence suggests a link between cognitive skill and risk of lower body musculoskeletal (MSK) injury and that concussion may also increase risk of subsequent MSK injury. However, these relationships have been largely examined in isolation and the potential additive effects of these factors have not been explored from an injury prevention perspective.Objective Examine associations between preventive baseline cognitive performance assessments and lower body MSK injury, as well as concussion in elite athletes.Design Observational study.Setting Elite level short track speed skaters from a national sport institute.Participants 53 speed skaters (female n=27, male n=26) who completed pre-season cognitive testing between 2015 and 2023.Assessment of Risk Factors Documented lower body MSK injuries and concussions by an injury surveillance program.Main Outcome Measurements Performance on a series of cognitive tests from the Vienna Test System, including measures of sustained attention, inhibition, planning ability, and working memory.Results No differences in cognitive performance were observed between athletes with (n=24) and without (n=29) a concussion history, even when testing was completed prior to an athlete's first-ever concussion. Athletes with a history of MSK injury demonstrated small but significant performance differences on sustained attention and inhibitory cognitive measures (ps<.05) compared to those with no prior MSK injury (n=4). Similar patterns were observed for athletes with multiple injuries (i.e., 5+) compared to fewer or no MSK injuries (ps<.05). However, no performance differences were observed between athletes with MSK injury and concussion history (n=22) versus those with only MSK injury (n=27).Conclusions Identifying baseline markers of risk for MSK injuries and concussions is critical to preventing future injuries. These preliminary results suggest a relationship between cognitive performance and lower body MSK injury, but not concussion. Future longitudinal analyses will help determine whether pre-existing or changing cognitive skills predict MSK injury or concussion.