The long term effects of concussion on fine motor control

Chia, Callum

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/16876 Copy

Description

Title

The long term effects of concussion on fine motor control

Author(s)

Chia, Callum

Issue Date

2010-08-20T18:00:34Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Broglio, Steven P.

Department of Study

Kinesiology & Community Health

Discipline

Kinesiology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• concussion
• long term effects
• fine motor control
• manual dexterity
• football

Abstract

Concussion has been shown to cause immediate impairment in neurocognitive function and motor control. A widely accepted recovery time from concussion is 7-10 days. However, late life health issues and evidence of chronic inflammatory scar tissue buildup in the brain have been linked to repeated head trauma. In recent electrophysiological studies, concussed individuals have shown differences in EEG profile up to 30 years post-injury. Few studies have examined the long term effects of concussion on persistent brain function. PURPOSE: To examine the persisting effects of concussion history on fine motor control. METHODS: Twenty individuals (age 20.4 +/-1.7) with no history of concussion and twenty individuals (age 20 +/-1.6) with at least 1 previous episode of concussion, were recruited from a NCAA Division-I football team. Participants each completed a Purdue pegboard task, finger tapping task and a submaximal isometric force control task. Group differences in test performance were assessed using a t-test and a 3-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Correlation analysis was used to assess relationships between test performance and concussion history. RESULTS: Data analysis showed no significant group differences between concussed and non-concussed individuals (p’s >0.05) on all measures. No significant relationships were seen between test performance and concussion history. CONCLUSION: There was no relation between concussion history and fine motor control performance as evaluated by these tasks. These results contrast the postural control and gait studies which indicated long term changes in concussed individuals. It is unclear why these changes occur, but the presence of sub-concussive blows or greater cortical allocation to fine motor movements are possible explanations. Further study is needed to further understand the long term effects of concussion on fine motor control.

Graduation Semester

2010-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16876

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2010 Callum Chia

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