Term of Award

Spring 2015

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Barry Munkasy

Committee Member 1

Barry Joyner

Committee Member 2

Thomas Buckley

Committee Member 3

Nicholas Murray

Abstract

Context: The effects of concussions on postural stability, both acutely and chronically, have been well studied and noted. However, whether subconcussive impacts lead to these same impairments is not heavily investigated. Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of subconcussive impacts on postural stability in NCAA Division I football athletes. We hypothesized that all participants would show declines in postural stability following a single fall season. We also hypothesized that there would be no significant differences between groups from pre- to post-season measures. The secondary purpose was to predict deficits in postural stability based on cumulative linear acceleration, cumulative rotational acceleration, total number of impacts, and Head Impact Criterion (HIC). We hypothesized that the total number of impacts and cumulative linear acceleration would predict significant changes in postural stability. Design: This was a prospective longitudinal study. Setting: The Georgia Southern University Biomechanics Laboratory. Participants: 15 NCAA Division 1 collegiate football players were instrumented with the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) and 13 non-contact athletes with a fall season were recruited for control participants. Intervention: The 2014 fall football season. Results: No significant deficits in postural stability were measured over the course of a single season. There was an increase in the anteroposterior direction for left leg stance in both groups and in the mediolateral direction for double leg stance in SUBC over time. Conclusion: The results of this study show no deficits across a single athletic season. However, caution should still be taken as there is literature supporting late-life detriments due to brain trauma

Download

Share

COinS