Citation

Howell DR, Bonnette S, Diekfuss JA, Grooms DR, Myer GD, Meehan WP. J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Orthopaedic Section and Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association)

DOI

10.2519/jospt.2020.9133

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare cross recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA) measurements obtained during gait between adolescents who sustained a diagnosed concussion within 14 days of assessment and healthy adolescents.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

METHODS: Youth athletes with concussion (n=43, age=14.4±2.3 years, 56% female, tested median 7 days post-concussion) and healthy controls (n=38, age=14.9±2.0 years, 55% female) completed a single-task and dual-task gait protocol while wearing a set of inertial sensors. We used CRQA techniques to quantify the similarity between accelerations obtained from the sensor on the dorsum of each foot. Four outcome variables were compared between groups: percent determinism, average diagonal line length, laminarity, and trapping time.

RESULTS: Athletes with concussion had significantly higher percent determinism, laminarity, and trapping time than the control group in single-task and dual-task conditions (p < 0.05). The gait pattern while simultaneously completing a secondary cognitive task (dual-task) was no different to the gait pattern during the single-task condition.

CONCLUSION: Higher percent determinism, laminarity, and trapping time among athletes with a concussion suggests concussion was associated with a more stuck and predictable gait pattern following concussion. These altered movement patterns may be one reason underlying slower gait speeds that have been observed following concussion. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 22 May 2020. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.9133.

Language: en

Keywords

mild traumatic brain injury; human locomotion; inertial sensors; nonlinear analysis; postural balance