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Sport-Related Concussions: A Review of Epidemiology, Challenges in Diagnosis, and Potential Risk Factors

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Abstract

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a common mild traumatic brain injury among young, active individuals, affecting approximately 300,000 young American adults annually. In this review of the epidemiology of SRC, we describe the challenges in identifying concussion occurrence and review the studies describing concussion incidence in various sports. In high risk contact sports, American football, soccer (European football), hockey, lacrosse, and basketball athletes experience concussion unintentionally during the course of play. Among these, football concussion incidence is reviewed in greatest detail because it has the highest incidence among the contact sports, and some studies have shown long-term neurophysiologic and neurodegenerative outcomes. Mechanisms of injury differ significantly by sport and can be potential targets for concussion risk mitigation. Despite the apparent high incidence of SRC, risk factors determining initial concussion, recovery periods, recurrence, and long-term outcomes remain poorly understood and warrant further study exploring the influence of age, sex, genetics, and athletic factors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would particularly like to thank Barclay Morisson III, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University for creation and provision of images included in Fig. 1.

Disclosures

Drs. Noble and Hesdorffer have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding

Development of this manuscript was not developed by specific or relevant funding mechanisms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    James M. Noble

  2. G. H. Sergievsky Center and Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Heath, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Dale C. Hesdorffer

  3. The Neurological Institute of New York, 710 W. 168th St, Box 176, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    James M. Noble

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  1. James M. Noble
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  2. Dale C. Hesdorffer
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Correspondence to James M. Noble.

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Noble, J.M., Hesdorffer, D.C. Sport-Related Concussions: A Review of Epidemiology, Challenges in Diagnosis, and Potential Risk Factors. Neuropsychol Rev 23, 273–284 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-013-9239-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-013-9239-0

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