Presenter(s): Haley Segelke − Human Physiology
Faculty Mentor(s): Li-Shan Chou
Poster 29
Research Area: Science
Funding: UROP Mini-Grant
Current post-concussion return to play criteria are based on metrics which normalize within 1-2 weeks, however recent research has demonstrated gait-stability deficits in acutely concussed athletes may persist for up to two months post-injury. As such, concussed individuals who return to play within two weeks have a greater risk for re-injury. The purpose of this study was to analyze gait stability in female lacrosse players utilizing a novel accelerometer-based, dual-task gait stability assessment as well as establish the assessment’s clinical feasibility. Nine players from the university club team underwent individual assessments. A wearable accelerometer was placed on L-5 on the subject’s back. Subjects performed a simple walking task at a self-selected pace on an eight-meter path, turned around, and returned to the start position. The walking task was performed under three conditions: normal walking, dual-task walking with auditory Stroop, and dual-task walking with a question and answer test. Raw acceleration data from three orthogonal axes was downloaded for processing. The average testing time was 9:21 minutes ± 57 seconds. This short testing time reflects clinical feasibility when compared to other concussion management assessments, such as the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (IMPACT) procedure takes 25 minutes to complete and the Sort Concussion athletic tool (SCAT5), which cannot be performed in under 10 minutes. Analysis of center of mass kinematic data is ongoing, however early trends support the notion that gait stability in an uninjured, healthy athletic cohort is comparable to laboratory assessments of healthy non-athletes.