Publications
Here are all of my publications and short descriptions of key take aways ......
Experiences of a controlled early exercise intervention following a sport-related concussion: A qualitative study of rugby union student-athletes
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2024.10.001
The intervention facilitated recovery, confidence and positive health behaviours.
This novel approach may help to improve attitudes towards reporting suspected SRC.
Does early exercise intolerance effect time to return to play, symptom burden, neurocognition, Vestibular-Ocular-Motor (VOM) function and academic ability in acutely concussed student-athletes?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699052.2024.2367477
Early exercise intolerance is prevalent following an SRC in university-aged student-athletes and was associated with delayed recovery.
RTP was delayed by 12.5 days in those with exercise intolerance at 14 days post-injury.
A controlled early-exercise rehabilitation program commencing within 48 hours of a Sports-Related Concussion improves recovery in UK student-athletes: A prospective cohort study
https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(24)00183-X/fulltext
Early exercise was associated with 26.7 % more to RTP within 30 days, and 6.7 and 5.1 times more likely to have resumed non-contact and contact academic activities by 4 days.
The revised perceived academic impact tool (PAIT2): A tool to assess academic dysfunction in university‐aged student‐athletes with sports‐related concussion
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsc.12051
The concussed group had significantly worse self-perceived academic performance at day 2, but not by day 4, indicating perceived academic ability recovers by 4 days following an SRC.
The PAIT2 had good validity and reliability and was able to detect 96.00%, 92.00% and 85.71% of concussed student-athletes with academic impairment at day 2, 4, 8 and 14 days post-SRC.
Musculoskeletal injury or Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) in a season of rugby union does not affect performance on concussion battery testing in university-aged student-athletes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466853X23001529?via%3Dihub
Only symptom burden worsened across the playing season.
Improvements seen may have been due to repeated exposure to testing and a learning effect.
Significant improvement on verbal memory, visual memory, and reaction time composites was seen.
Unexpectedly, symptom burden worsened more in those who did not suffer a concussion.
The association between sport-related concussion and musculoskeletal injury in university rugby athletes.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466853X22000621?via%3Dihub
Athletes with a SRC were more likely to sustain subsequent MSK injuries.
The association between the SRC and MSK injury was not linked to injury location, sex or rugby playing position.
The long-term consequences of SRC on subsequent MSK injury may remain even after 181 days.
There was no indication a SRC resulted in greater time loss from a MSK injury.
Recovery of symptoms, neurocognitive and vestibular-ocular-motor function and academic ability after sports-related concussion (SRC) in university-aged student-athletes: a systematic review
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699052.2022.2051740
The evidence base did not allow for a conclusion on recovery time for VOM function or academic ability.
Few papers investigated recovery times at specified re-assessment time-points and have used vastly differing methodologies.
To fully understand the implication of SRC on the university-aged student-athlete’ studies using a multi-faceted approach at specific re-assessments time points are required.
Prospective study with specific Re-Assessment time points to determine time to recovery following a Sports-Related Concussion in university-aged student-athletes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X2100167X?via%3Dihub
Symptom burden recovers below RCI at 4 days and to baseline at 8 days.
Vestibular-oculomotor function recovers by RCI at 8 days, and to baseline at return to play.
Neurocognitive impairment was detected at any time point using the reliable change index.
At return to play neurocognition was worse than baseline on memory.
Clinicians should use change to baseline to understand when recovery occurs.
Does Vestibular-Ocular-Motor (VOM) Impairment Affect Time to Return to Play, Symptom Severity, Neurocognition and Academic Ability in Student-Athletes following acute Concussion?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699052.2021.1911001
Presence of VOM dysfunction at 14 days post-SRC significantly correlated with a longer RTP.
Greater symptom burden was seen in those with VOM dysfunction at all time points.
Greater odds ratio for academic time time loss was seen at 2, 4 and 8 days post-SRC in those with VOM impairment.