%0 Journal Article %T High altitude modulates concussion incidence, severity, and recovery in young athletes %J Brain injury %D 2022 %A Li, Adam Y. %A Durbin, John R. %A Hannah, Theodore C. %A Ali, Muhammad %A Spiera, Zachary %A Marayati, Naoum Fares %A Dreher, Nickolas %A Schupper, Alexander J. %A Kuohn, Lindsey %A Gometz, Alex %A Lovell, Mark R. %A Choudhri, Tanvir F. %V ePub %N ePub %P ePub-ePub %X BACKGROUND: High altitude may affect concussion, but prior studies are limited. We tested whether high altitude affects sport-related concussion (SRC) incidence, severity, and recovery.

METHODS: Twenty-five thousand eight hundred fifteen baseline and post-injury Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing results were compiled from Florida and Colorado, low (27 m or 62 m) and high (1,640 m or 1,991 m) altitude locations, respectively. Incidence, severity, and recovery of injury were compared between altitudes.

RESULTS: High altitude was associated with increased suspected concussion incidence (adjusted OR, 2.04 [95% CI, 1.86 to 2.24];P < .0001). However, high altitude was associated with lower concussion severity measured by Severity Index (SI) (adjusted OR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.37 to 0.49];P < .0001). High altitude was associated with decreased recovery from post-concussive symptoms in the migraine (β, -2.72 [95% CI, -3.31 to -2.13]; P < .0001), cognitive (β, -1.88 [95% CI, -2.40 to -1.36]; P < .0001), and sleep symptom clusters (β, -0.30 [95% CI, -0.52 to -0.08]; P = .007). Athletes with initial SI≥8 showed prolonged neurocognitive dysfunction at high altitude (HR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.06 to 1.81]; P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS: High altitude was associated with increased suspected concussions and prolonged recovery but less severe initial injury.

Language: en

%G en %I Informa - Taylor and Francis Group %@ 0269-9052 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2022.2035435