MONDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- High school athletes with a history of multiple concussions appear to have more cognitive, physical, and sleep problems, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Neurosurgery.
Philip Schatz, Ph.D., of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, and colleagues assigned 616 high school athletes who completed baseline evaluations to groups based on history of concussion (none, one, two or more previous).
Compared to high school athletes with a history of one or no previous concussions, the investigators found that athletes with a history of two or more concussions showed significantly higher ratings of concussion-related symptoms including cognitive, physical, and sleep difficulties.
"In the absence of a direct, causal relationship, it is not clear if high school athletes with a history of multiple concussions are experiencing enduring post-concussive symptoms, or are simply more sensitive to physical, cognitive, and emotional fluctuations," the authors write. "Given that athletes with a history of multiple concussions are more likely to report concussion-related symptoms at baseline, and these athletes were more likely to have sought treatment (e.g., for headaches), the current results may reflect a combination of enduring symptoms and increased sensitivity to these symptoms."
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