The results of this systematic review identify the consistent and prevalent indicators of concussion and their associations , derived from the strongest evidence in the published literature .
BACKGROUND Currently , there is no evidence -based definition for concussion that is being uniformly applied in clinical and research setting s. OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the highest- quality literature about concussion and to assemble evidence about the prevalence and associations of key indicators of concussion .
The goal was to establish an evidence -based foundation from which to derive , in future work , a definition , diagnostic criteria , and prognostic indicators for concussion .
Examining Concussion Rates and Return to Play in High School Football Players Wearing Newer Helmet Technology: A Three-Year Prospective Cohort Study
OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study was to compare concussion rates and recovery times for athletes wearing newer helmet technology compared to traditional helmet design . METHODS : This was a three-year , prospect i ve , naturalistic , cohort study . Participants were 2,141 high school athletes from Western Pennsylvania . Approximately half of the sample wore the Revolution helmet manufactured by Riddell , Inc.  ( n = 1,173 ) and the remainder of the sample used  st and ard helmets ( n = 968 ) . Athletes underwent computerized neurocognitive testing through the use of ImPACT at the beginning of the study . Following a concussion , players were reevaluated at various time intervals until recovery was complete . RESULTS : In the total sample , the concussion rate in athletes wearing the Revolution was 5.3 % and in athletes wearing st and ard helmets was 7.6 % [ & khgr;2 ( 1 , 2 , 141 ) = 4.96 , P < 0.027 ] . The relative risk estimate was 0.69 ( 95 % confidence interval = 0.499– 0.958 ) . Wearing the Revolution helmet was associated with approximately a 31 % decreased relative risk and 2.3 % decreased absolute risk for sustaining a concussion in this cohort study . The athletes wearing the Revolution did not differ from athletes wearing st and ard helmets on the mechanism of injury ( e.g. , head-to-head strike ) , on-field concussion markers ( e.g. , amnesia or loss of consciousness ) , or on-field presentation of symptoms ( e.g. , headaches , dizziness , or balance problems ) . CONCLUSION : Recent sophisticated laboratory research has better eluci date d injury biomechanics associated with concussion in professional football players . This data has led to changes in helmet design and new helmet technology , which appears to have beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of cerebral concussion in high school football players
The results of this systematic review identify the consistent and prevalent indicators of concussion and their associations , derived from the strongest evidence in the published literature .
BACKGROUND Currently , there is no evidence -based definition for concussion that is being uniformly applied in clinical and research setting s. OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the highest- quality literature about concussion and to assemble evidence about the prevalence and associations of key indicators of concussion .
The goal was to establish an evidence -based foundation from which to derive , in future work , a definition , diagnostic criteria , and prognostic indicators for concussion .