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Special Issue "Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents"

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2021) | Viewed by 16072

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Prof. Dr. Dilipkumar R. Patel

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Guest Editor

Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, School of Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Interests: pediatric sports medicine; neurodevelopmental disabilities; neurobehavioral disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue on Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Sports are an integral part of the sociocultural fabric of society since ancient times. For children and adolescents, participation in sports comes naturally and plays a vital role in their growth and development. Different types of injuries are inherent to sport participation with varying degrees of short-term and long-term consequences for the child and the adolescent athlete. An additional unique dimension to sports participation by children and adolescents is derived from the role adults play in providing the framework and context within which such participation takes place.

Our understanding of the impact of sport-related concussions on the developing brain of children and adolescent continues evolve. Sport-related concussions are a common injury with wide-ranging short-term and long-term consequences for the child or the adolescent.

An understanding of the epidemiological factors, neurodevelopmental impact, public health impact, prevention strategies, clinical management, recovery, and rehabilitation are some of the areas of critical interest in sport-related concussions in children and adolescents.

This Special Issue is open to a wide-ranging subject areas related to sport-related concussions in children and adolescents, especially prevention, public policy and public health aspects.

The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Prof. Dr. Dilipkumar R. Patel
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Definition
Pathophysiology
Neurodevelopmental impact
Neurocognitive testing
Cognitive rest
Return to play
Neuroimaging
Public policy
Prevention
Epidemiology
Ethical considerations

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Considerations for Pediatric Retirement from Athletics Following Repetitive Concussive Traumatic Brain Injury: Incorporating the Right to an Open Future

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(5), 2266; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052266 - 25 Feb 2021

Viewed by 2395

Abstract

Guidance regarding the decision to remove an adolescent from athletic competition immediately following an acute concussive injury and the safe return of play in the short term is widely accepted and supported by clinical evidence, local institutional policies, and state and federal laws. There is considerably less guidance regarding the decision to permanently retire an adolescent athlete for medical reasons due to concussive injuries. In this article, we discuss the clinical and non-clinical considerations that should guide clinicians in discussions regarding the adolescent athlete’s permanent retirement by emphasizing the ethical obligation to protect the child’s right to an open future as possibly determinative in otherwise ambiguous cases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents)

11 pages, 285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychologists’ Role in Concussion Assessments for Children and Adolescents in Pediatric Practice

Roger W. Apple

Brian M. Stran

and

Brandon Tross

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7549; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207549 - 17 Oct 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2020

Abstract

An estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million children and adolescents in the United States are treated for a sports- or recreationally-related concussion each year. The importance of formalized assessment and measurement of concussion symptoms has been widely recognized as a component of best-practice treatment. The present paper reviews a sample of the most commonly used measures of concussion symptomology and explores psychologists’ role in their application in a pediatric practice. In addition, other issues such as accessibility and the appropriateness of application with child and adolescent patients are discussed. Literature is reviewed from journals pertaining to pediatric and adolescent medicine, sports medicine, neuropsychology, and testing and measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents)

Review

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16 pages, 1763 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Incidence of Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion in Action Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Francesco Feletti

and

Matteo Bonato

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238728 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2267

Abstract

Background: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the incidence of concussion risk in youth athletes involved in action sports (AS). Methods: A search of PubMed and Web of Science (from January 1980 to August 2020). Titles, abstracts, and full text were screened according to predefined inclusion criteria to find relevant studies. Moreover, the methodological quality of the studies selected was assessed. Results: Nineteen of 1.619 studies were included in the systematic review and 14 in the meta-analysis. Motocross, sailing and snowboarding presented the highest incidence rates per 1000 athlete exposure at 39.22, 3.73 and 2.77 respectively, whereas alpine skiing had the lowest incidence rates resulting in 0.30. Overall risk of concussion was estimated at 0.33 (CI: 0.22, 0.45). Regarding the methodological quality, we have to report that 26.3% of the studies reported the definition of concussion while 36.8% presented age and gender-specific incidence rates. The mechanism of injury and follow up were reported only in one study. Conclusions: There are significant differences in the rates of incident youth concussion across AS. Despite some limitations, the data from this research can serve as the current sport-specific baseline risk of concussion among youth athletes who practice action sports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents)

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12 pages, 527 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Academic Performance Following Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7602; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207602 - 19 Oct 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3741

Abstract

Sport-related concussions (SRC) are an increasingly common concern in young athletes, with long-term cognitive, physiological, behavioral, and psychological adverse outcomes. An estimated 1.1 million to 1.9 million SRCs occur per year in children <18 years old in the United States. The post-concussive state has demonstrated consequences in several domains, including athletics and academics, although much more research has been conducted on the former. The objective of this scoping review was to ascertain findings from published studies on the effects of SRCs on academic performance and quality of life of young student athletes. A total of 175 articles were screened within the PubMed and CINAHL databases, along with a Google search. Fourteen papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in the review. Quantitative and qualitative data were collated and demonstrated the heterogeneity with which, post-concussion academic performance outcomes were measured; only 4 of the 14 studies utilized formal academic metrics such as changes in grade point average (GPA) or examination scores. While the results overall did show statistically significant implications on academic performance decline after SRC, it is clear that there remains a paucity of research determining the consequences of SRCs on academic performance in the school environment. Further research is needed to better understand how to implement accommodations in the student’s learning environment and guide return-to-learn protocols for student athletes following SRC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents)

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17 pages, 1798 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Concussion Education Programs for Coaches and Parents of Youth Athletes

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(8), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082665 - 13 Apr 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4892

Abstract

Coach and parent concussion education programs are essential for the prevention, diagnosis, management, and return to play of youth athletes. This systematic review examined the content and efficacy (changes in knowledge, impact on concussion incidence) of concussion education programs for coaches and parents of youth and high school athletes. Six databases were searched: SPORTDiscus, Academic Search Premiere, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies evaluated the use and/or efficacy of concussion education programs among coaches or parents of youth athletes. A total of 13 articles (out of 1553 articles) met selection criteria. Although different concussion education programs exist, only three have been evaluated in the literature: ACTive Athletic Concussion Training™, USA Football’s Heads Up Football, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s HEADS UP. These programs are well liked among coaches and parents and the suggested practices are easily implemented by coaches. These programs increased concussion knowledge among coaches and parents and promoted behavioral changes among coaches to reduce the concussion risk in high school sports. Few studies have assessed the efficacy of concussion education programs on youth athlete health outcomes. No studies included a longitudinal follow up to determine the degree of knowledge retention following the intervention. While online educational programs are sufficient to improve coach knowledge, in-person training may be a more effective educational tool for reducing the incidence of youth sport concussion. Future studies addressing the efficacy of concussion education programs should include a longitudinal follow up to assess knowledge retention and fidelity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport-Related Concussions in Children and Adolescents)

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