Citation

Torres DM, Galetta KM, Phillips HW, Dziemianowicz EMS, Wilson JA, Dorman ES, Laudano E, Galetta SL, Balcer LJ. Neurol. Clin. Pract. 2013; 3(4): 279-287.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology (DMT, SLG, LJB), New York University School of Medicine, New York; and Departments of Neurology (KMG, HWP, EMSD, JAW, SLG, LJB), Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, Athletic Training (EM, EAD), Ophthalmology (SLG, LJB), and Epidemiology (LJB), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1212/CPJ.0b013e3182a1ba22

PMID

24195017

Abstract

Studies suggest that a lack of standardized knowledge may lead to underreporting and undertreatment of sports-related concussion. However, there has been little work done to establish how this knowledge may affect athletes' behaviors toward reporting their concussions and removing themselves from play. We conducted an anonymous online survey to assess athletes' knowledge of signs and symptoms of concussion, and also sought to estimate the potential frequency of underreporting in a collegiate athlete cohort. Among 262 athletes who responded to the survey, 43% of those with a history of concussion reported that they had knowingly hidden symptoms of a concussion to stay in a game, and 22% of athletes overall indicated that they would be unlikely or very unlikely to report concussion symptoms to a coach or athletic trainer in the future. These data suggest that there may be a substantial degree of underreporting of concussion among collegiate athletes, despite most acknowledging that they have been formally educated about the risks of concussion.

Language: en