Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task
# Background Adolescent athletes aged 10 to 19 years are at the highest risk of experiencing sport-related concussions (SRCs). Despite the known deficits and battery of assessments following concussion, postural stability during dual-task gait remains understudied in this population. # Purpose Th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North American Sports Medicine Institute
2023-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.71361 |
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| _version_ | 1825197030648053760 |
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| author | Leah Lowe Fernando Castillo Melissa Allen Michael Israel Charlotte Yates |
| author_facet | Leah Lowe Fernando Castillo Melissa Allen Michael Israel Charlotte Yates |
| author_sort | Leah Lowe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
Adolescent athletes aged 10 to 19 years are at the highest risk of experiencing sport-related concussions (SRCs). Despite the known deficits and battery of assessments following concussion, postural stability during dual-task gait remains understudied in this population.
# Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dual-task cost (DTC) in adolescents with an acute or chronic SRC compared to reference values from healthy athlete peers for spatiotemporal parameters of gait during walking with and without a concurrent visuospatial memory task presented on a hand-held tablet. Researchers hypothesized that adolescents during the acute phase of concussion would be likely to experience a greater DTC compared to healthy peers in at least one spatiotemporal parameter of gait when walking within the dual-task paradigm.
# Study Design
Cross-sectional, observational cohort design
# Methods
Adolescents with concussion were recruited to participate. Subjects were divided into acute and chronic categories based on significant differences in the neuropsychological function after a period of 28 days. They walked at a self-selected speed along the 5.186-meter GAITRite® Walkway System with and without a concurrent visuospatial cognitive task presented on a hand-held tablet. Outcomes included normalized velocity (m/s), step length (m), and double limb (DLS) and single limb support (SLS) (defined as the percent of a gait cycle \[%GC\]). The data were then compared to the previously published reference values established using the same methods in the healthy athlete participants for all spatiotemporal parameters of gait.
# Results
Data was collected on 29 adolescent athletes with SRC. Among males (15.53+/-1.12 years) with SRC, 20% of acute and 10% of chronic cases experienced a greater DTC compared to healthy athlete reference values. A similarly increased DTC was experienced by 83% of acute and 29% of chronic SRC cases for females (15.58+/-1.16 years).
# Conclusions
Adolescent athletes with concussion may continue demonstrating deficits in gait capabilities even in the chronic phase, and compensatory gait strategies were not the same between males and females. Dual-task cost assessment using the GAITRite® may be a valuable adjunct to comprehensive analysis of gait following SRC.
# Level of Evidence
2 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a634a715432448b89979afb8e3661e01 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2159-2896 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | North American Sports Medicine Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-a634a715432448b89979afb8e3661e012025-02-11T20:27:42ZengNorth American Sports Medicine InstituteInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy2159-28962023-04-01182Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive TaskLeah LoweFernando CastilloMelissa AllenMichael IsraelCharlotte Yates# Background Adolescent athletes aged 10 to 19 years are at the highest risk of experiencing sport-related concussions (SRCs). Despite the known deficits and battery of assessments following concussion, postural stability during dual-task gait remains understudied in this population. # Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dual-task cost (DTC) in adolescents with an acute or chronic SRC compared to reference values from healthy athlete peers for spatiotemporal parameters of gait during walking with and without a concurrent visuospatial memory task presented on a hand-held tablet. Researchers hypothesized that adolescents during the acute phase of concussion would be likely to experience a greater DTC compared to healthy peers in at least one spatiotemporal parameter of gait when walking within the dual-task paradigm. # Study Design Cross-sectional, observational cohort design # Methods Adolescents with concussion were recruited to participate. Subjects were divided into acute and chronic categories based on significant differences in the neuropsychological function after a period of 28 days. They walked at a self-selected speed along the 5.186-meter GAITRite® Walkway System with and without a concurrent visuospatial cognitive task presented on a hand-held tablet. Outcomes included normalized velocity (m/s), step length (m), and double limb (DLS) and single limb support (SLS) (defined as the percent of a gait cycle \[%GC\]). The data were then compared to the previously published reference values established using the same methods in the healthy athlete participants for all spatiotemporal parameters of gait. # Results Data was collected on 29 adolescent athletes with SRC. Among males (15.53+/-1.12 years) with SRC, 20% of acute and 10% of chronic cases experienced a greater DTC compared to healthy athlete reference values. A similarly increased DTC was experienced by 83% of acute and 29% of chronic SRC cases for females (15.58+/-1.16 years). # Conclusions Adolescent athletes with concussion may continue demonstrating deficits in gait capabilities even in the chronic phase, and compensatory gait strategies were not the same between males and females. Dual-task cost assessment using the GAITRite® may be a valuable adjunct to comprehensive analysis of gait following SRC. # Level of Evidence 2https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.71361 |
| spellingShingle | Leah Lowe Fernando Castillo Melissa Allen Michael Israel Charlotte Yates Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| title | Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal parameters of gait among adolescent athletes with concussion when performing a visuospatial cognitive task |
| url | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.71361 |
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