Tag: Quinn Peterson

Differences in Functional Recovery Following Concussion between Males and Females

Presenter: Rachel Klas

Mentors: Li-Shan Chou and Quinn Peterson, Human Physiology

Poster: 38

Major: Human Physiology

Concussion, a brain trauma resulted from linear or rotational acceleration to the head, represents a majority of the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sustained each year. To understand if there are recovery differences between males and females post-concussion, this research examined males and females with matched controls for two months following the injury. In this study, a 3-dimensional motion analysis system was used to observe the trajectory of 29 anatomical locations in order to determine the peak anterior velocity of each subject’s center of mass (COM, the point where the mass is equally distributed) and the medial-lateral COM sway. Symptom severity was assessed based on a 22-symptom inventory and a scale similar to the Likert scale for each symptom (ranking each symptom from 0-6). A three-way analysis of variance, or ANOVA, was performed to analyze the data in order to determine the effect of concussion, sex (male and female), time (72 hour, one week, two week, one month, and two month post-injury), and the interactions between these independent variables. It was revealed that males and females do not objectively differ in terms of the peak anterior COM velocity or COM medial-lateral displacement across the 2-month study, but that females reported more severe symptoms than males. The findings suggest that subjects of both sexes follow the same general gait balance recovery trends and that both sexes report heightened symptoms for at least two months after experiencing a concussion. Across all time points, females reported more symptoms than males, so either males are underreporting their symptoms or females are experiencing more symptoms than males.

Hip Joint Moment during Obstacle Crossing Following Concussion in Adolescents

Presenter: Austin Thompson

Co-Presenters: Quinn Peterson, David Howell, Li-Shan Chou

Faculty Mentor: Li-Shan Chou, Quinn Peterson

Presentation Type: Poster 84

Primary Research Area: Science

Major: Human Physiology

Patients with concussion often complain of instability while walking. Previous studies have shown that subjects with concussion have altered gait under normal conditions, dual-task walking, and obstacle crossing. While other studies have looked at joint moments in healthy adolescents and the geriatric population and found that older adults have increased hip moment compared to young adults, there has not been a study looking at the changes in joint moment during obstacle crossing in subjects with concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of concussion on hip joint moment during obstacle crossing in adolescents. It was hypothesized that peak
hip joint moment of the leading and trailing limbs would be increased in patients with concussion. Nine patients with concussion diagnosed by health professionals were matched with eight control subjects by age, height, mass, sex, and sport. Subjects were tested five subsequent times: 72hrs, 1wk, 2wks, 1mo, and 2mo. Twenty-nine retro- reflective markers were placed on boney landmarks, and motion analysis was performed using a 10 camera, 60 Hz system. The subjects stepped over an obstacle 10% of body height during steady state gait, and data was analyzed using Orthotrakä. The neurometabolic cascade of concussion causes changes to motor control, which could lead to unnecessary strain and a mechanism of further injury while providing further insight into how concussions affect gait.

Obstacle Crossing Toe Clearance Following Concussion in Adolescents

Presenter: Maisie Rapp

Faculty Mentor: Quinn Peterson, Li-Shan Chou

Presentation Type: Poster 81

Primary Research Area: Science

Major: Human Physiology

Sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can lead to physical and cognitive deficits; however, it has not been determined how long these deficits last. Previous research concluded that after a month post-concussion young adults still have deficiencies with toe-clearance during split attention obstacle crossing. Another study found that adolescents have greater gait balance control deficits two months post-injury compared to young adults. To determine how these deficiencies affect obstacle crossing during gait after two month, obstacle toe clearance was measured in adolescents following concussion and healthy matched controls. Data was collected using a 10-camera motion capture system which recorded the positions of twenty-nine retroflective markers that were placed on bony landmarks of the each subject. Concussion subjects came to the lab 72 hours, one week, two weeks, one month, and two months after the date of their injury. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of navigating obstacles during gait in adolescents following concussion.