Does a standardised exercise protocol incorporating a cognitive task provoke postconcussion-like symptoms in healthy individuals?

作者：Lee Hopin^*; Sullivan S John; Schneiders Anthony G

来源：Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2015, 18(3): 245-249.

DOI：10.1016/j.jsams.2014.04.003

• Brain concussion
• Postconcussion symptoms
• Exercise
• Cognitive load
• Return-to-play

Objectives: To explore whether an exercise protocol, alone and in combination with two selected cognitive tasks related to working memory, provokes postconcussion-like symptoms in healthy individuals.
Design: Prospective single cohort semi-randomised crossover repeated measures (time x condition) design.
Methods: 36 healthy individuals completed three submaximal exercise protocol conditions, namely: exercise alone, exercise with the paced auditory serial addition task, and exercise with Tetris. Self-reported symptoms were measured before exercise and 1-min and 15-min after the cessation of each exercise protocol using the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2-Postconcussion symptoms scale.
Results: Analysis of variance indicated a significant increase in symptom scores over time (p < 0.001), but no effect between conditions (p = 0.371) or a significant time x condition interaction (p = 0.444).
Conclusions: The combination of working memory tasks and a symptom provoking submaximal exercise protocol did not have an additional effect on the provocation of self-reported symptoms in healthy individuals. Furthermore, the two distinct methods of cognitive load delivery, controlled (paced auditory serial addition task) and pragmatic (Tetris), did not lead to a differential symptom response. These findings provide an initial insight into the scientific foundations for the symptom provocation model that is integral to the currently accepted clinical postconcussion return-to-play protocol.

• 出版日期2015-5