A Test Panel to Assess and Document an Absence of Concussive Signs for Sports Related Concussion

Main Article Content

Jon Vincent
Jon Divine
Aaron Keuhn-Himmler
Bob Mangine
Kim Hasselfeld
Joe Clark

Abstract

As sports-related concussions gain notoriety, legislation has also increased, placing greater liability on athletic trainers, who are typically the first to assess mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This has led to an increase in assessments for documenting an absence of or evidence of an mTBI. Although, their validation
and standardization have been called into scrutiny.


The purpose of this report is to develop and validate a neurologic test that provides objective evidence useful for documenting an absence of suspicious injury. In this retrospective cohort study, 26 athletes from the University of Cincinnati who incurred a suspicious concussive impact were evaluated using this assessment battery.


Of the 26 athletes, 7 were found to have a suspicious injury and referred to a specialist for further work-up. All 7 were eventually diagnosed with a concussion. Nineteen were found to have an absence of suspicious injury, none of which developed delayed concussive symptoms.

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Author Biographies

Jon Vincent, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Cincinnati

Jon Vincent is a former division-1 collegiate football player for the University of Cincinnati and post-graduate research assistant with a background in neurobiology. He is currently training under Dr. Joseph Clark PhD, in neurodiagnostics and neurorehabilitation. Jon is a  matriculating MD/PhD candidate at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine beginning in the Fall of 2020. 

Aaron Keuhn-Himmler, University of Cincinnati

Department of Athletics and NovaCare Sports Medicine 

Bob Mangine, University of Cincinnati

Department of Athletics and NovaCare Sports Medicine

Kim Hasselfeld, University of Cincinnati

Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Joe Clark, University of Cincinnati

Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine

 

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