Head Impact Exposure During a Weekend Youth Soccer Tournament

Sara P D Chrisman; Christine L Mac Donald; Seth Friedman; Jalal Andre; Ali Rowhani-Rahbar; Sara Drescher; Elizabeth Stein; Matthew Holm; Nicole Evans; Andrew V Poliakov; Randal P Ching; Christina C Schwien; Monica S Vavilala; Frederick P Rivara

doi:10.1177/0883073816634857

Head Impact Exposure During a Weekend Youth Soccer Tournament

J Child Neurol. 2016 Jul;31(8):971-8. doi: 10.1177/0883073816634857. Epub 2016 Mar 6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Adolescent Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA sara.chrisman@seattlechildrens.org.
² Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Neurosurgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
³ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁴ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Neuroradiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁵ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁶ Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁷ Neurosurgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁸ Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁹ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹⁰ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹¹ Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.

PMID: 26951540
DOI: 10.1177/0883073816634857

Abstract

Concussion is a known risk in youth soccer, but little is known about subconcussive head impacts. The authors provided a prospective cohort study measuring frequency and magnitude of subconcussive head impacts using accelerometry in a middle school-age soccer tournament, and association between head impacts and changes in (1) symptoms, (2) cognitive testing, and (3) advanced neuroimaging. A total of 17 youth completed the study (41% female, mean 12.6 years). There were 73 head impacts >15g measured (45% headers) and only 2 had a maximum peak linear acceleration >50g No youth reported symptoms consistent with concussion. After correction for multiple comparisons and a sensitivity analysis excluding clear outliers, no significant associations were found between head impact exposure and neuropsychological testing or advanced neuroimaging. The authors conclude that head impacts were relatively uncommon and low in acceleration in youth playing a weekend soccer tournament. This study adds to the limited data regarding head impacts in youth soccer.

Keywords: adolescent; child; concussion; heading; soccer; sport.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Athletic Injuries* / epidemiology
Athletic Injuries* / physiopathology
Brain Concussion / epidemiology
Brain Concussion / etiology
Brain Concussion / physiopathology
Child
Craniocerebral Trauma / epidemiology
Craniocerebral Trauma / etiology*
Craniocerebral Trauma / physiopathology
Female
Humans
Kinetocardiography
Male
Neuropsychological Tests
Prospective Studies
Soccer*