@article{ref1,
title="Gait and quiet-stance performance among adolescents after concussion symptom resolution",
journal="Journal of athletic training",
year="2017",
author="Berkner, Justin and Meehan, William P. and Master, Christina L. and Howell, David R.",
volume="52",
number="12",
pages="1089-1095",
abstract="OBJECTIVE:   To prospectively examine adolescent athletes' gait and quiet-stance performance while concurrently completing a cognitive task acutely after concussion and after symptom resolution. SETTING:   Sport concussion clinic. <br><br>DESIGN:   Participants diagnosed with a concussion completed a symptom inventory and single- and dual-task quiet-stance and gait evaluations within 21 days of injury and then again after symptom resolution. Gait and postural-control measurements were quantified using an inertial sensor system and analyzed using multivariate analyses of covariance. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:   Thirty-seven athletes (age = 16.2 ± 3.1 years; 54% female) were diagnosed with a concussion, and their performance was compared with that of a group of 44 uninjured control participants (age = 15.0 ± 2.0 years; 57% female). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):   Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, single-task and dual-task gait measures, quiet-stance measures, and cognitive task performance. <br><br>RESULTS:   At the initial postinjury examination, single-task gait stride length (1.16 ± 0.14 versus 1.25 ± 0.13 m, P =.003) and dual-task gait stride length (1.02 ± 0.13 m versus 1.10 ± 0.13 m, P =.011) for the concussion group compared with the control group, respectively, was shorter. After symptom resolution, no single-task gait differences were found, but the concussion group demonstrated a shorter stride length (0.99 ± 0.15 m versus 1.10 ± 0.13 m, P =.003), slower gait velocity (0.78 ± 0.15 m/s versus 0.92 ± 0.14 m/s, P =.005), and lower cadence (92.5 ± 12.2 steps/min versus 99.3 ± 7.8 steps/min, P <.001) during dual-task gait than the control group. No between-group differences were detected during quiet stance at either time point. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS:   Acutely after concussion, single-task and dual-task stride-length alterations were present among youth athletes compared with a control group. Although single-task gait alterations were not detected after symptom resolution, dual-task gait differences persisted, suggesting that dual-task gait alterations may persist longer after concussion than single-task gait or objective quiet-stance alterations. Dual-task gait assessments may, therefore, be a useful component in monitoring concussion recovery after symptom resolution.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1062-6050",
doi="10.4085/1062-6050-52.11.23",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-52.11.23"
}