145 Sport-Related Concussion and Age

INTRODUCTION: Sport-related concussions (SRC) among high school and collegiate athletes represent a significant public health concern. The Concussion in Sport Group has considered age a modifying factor in concussion outcomes. We hypothesized that younger athletes would take longer to return to neurocognitive baseline than older athletes after a SRC. METHODS: Two-hundred adolescent and young adult athletes who suffered SRC were included in our cohort. Of the total participants, 100 were assigned to the 13 to 16 year-old group and 100 to the 18 to 22 year-old group. All subjects were matched based on number of prior concussions. Each participant completed baseline and post-concussion neurocognitive testing using the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Testing (ImPACT) test battery. Independent sample t tests were used to compare mean number of days to return to baseline. RESULTS: Days to return to baseline on neurocognitive and symptom scores were found to be statistically different in 13 to 16 year-olds when compared to 18 to 22 year-olds. Differences were found in three out of four neurocognitive measures and on the total symptom score. Average number of days to return to baseline were greater for 13 to 16 year-olds than for 18 to 22 year-olds on the following variables: Verbal Memory (7.2 vs 4.7, P = 0.001), Visual Memory (7.1 vs 4.7, P = 0.002), Reaction Time (7.2 vs 5.1 P = 0.01), and Post Concussion Symptom Scale (8.1 vs 6.1, P = 0.026). No statistical difference was found on Visual Motor Speed (6.8 vs 5.3, P = 0.063). In both groups, greater than 90% of athletes returned to neurocognitive and symptom baseline within one month. CONCLUSION: Our results show that athletes 13 to 16 years old take longer to return to their neurocognitive and symptom baselines than athletes 18 to 22 years old. These results confirm that sports medicine clinicians making return-to-play decisions should exercise greater caution with younger, as opposed to older athletes.