Michael L. Sachs

Sex differences in baseline neuropsychological function and concussion symptoms of collegiate athletes

Objective: To investigate sex differences in baseline neuropsychological function and concussion symptoms between male and female collegiate athletes. Methods: A post-test only design was used to examine baseline neuropsychological test scores and concussion symptoms. A total of 1209 NCAA Division I collegiate athletes from five northeastern universities in the USA completed a baseline ImPACT test. ImPACT, a computerised neuropsychological test battery, was administered during an athlete’s pre-season. Results: Female athletes performed significantly better than male athletes on baseline verbal memory scores (p = 0.001), while male athletes performed significantly better than female athletes on baseline visual memory scores (p = 0.001). Female athletes endorsed a significant number of mild baseline symptoms as compared to male athletes. Conclusions: Male and female athletes exhibit differences on baseline neuropsychological test performance and concussion symptoms.

Epidemiological Considerations of Concussions Among Intercollegiate Athletes

The purpose of this study was to examine epidemiological trends of concussions among 15 different intercollegiate sports during the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000 seasons. Data were collected using the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance System (ISS). For the 15 sports studied during the 3 academic years, the NCAA ISS documented 3,535 team-seasons, 40,547 reportable injuries, 5,566,924 practice athlete exposures (AEs), and 1,090,298 game AEs. Concussions accounted for 6.2% of all reported injuries during this 3-year study. Of all the reported injuries, women lacrosse players (13.9%) reported the highest percentage of suffering a concussion during a game followed by womens soccer (11.4%), mens ice hockey (10.3%), mens lacrosse (10.1%), football (8.8%), womens basketball, (8.5%), field hockey (7.2%), mens soccer (7.0%), wrestling (6.6%), mens basketball (5.0%), baseball (4.2%), and womens volleyball (4.1%). Female athletes from all 7 sports were found to be at a lower risk for suffering concussions during practice sessions than the 8 male sports. However, female athletes were found to be at a greater risk for suffering concussions during games compared to male athletes. Injury trends over the 3-year period indicate concussions continue to be on the rise for athletes participating in collegiate football, mens soccer, and womens and mens basketball.

Decreased scholastic achievement in overweight middle school students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether overweight students achieved a lower relative degree of scholastic achievement compared to nonoverweight students. Subjects consisted of 6th and 7th grade students enrolled in a large public middle school in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We compared grade point averages (GPAs), nationally standardized reading scores, school detentions, school suspensions, school attendance, tardiness to school, physical fitness test scores, and participation on school athletic teams among nonoverweight, at risk for overweight, and overweight students. Overweight students achieved lower grades (P < 0.001) and lower physical fitness scores (P < 0.0001) than their nonoverweight peers. Overweight students demonstrated a 0.4 letter grade lower GPA (on a 4.00 scale) and 11% lower national percentile reading scores than their nonoverweight peers. The overweight students also demonstrated significantly more detentions, worsened school attendance, more tardiness to school, and less participation on school athletic teams than their nonoverweight peers. Our study suggests that body mass is an important indicator of scholastic achievement, attendance, behavior, and physical fitness among middle school students, reiterating the need for healthy lifestyle intervention and prevention measures.

Effect of guided relaxation and imagery on falls self-efficacy: a randomized controlled trial.

To examine the effects of guided relaxation and imagery (GRI) on improvement in falls self‐efficacy in older adults who report having a fear of falling.

Step-count promotion through a school-based intervention.

The purpose was to determine the effects of a school-based pedometer intervention (SBPI) on daily accrued steps, academic performance, attendance, tardiness, and fitness performance in middle school students. Students from one, public middle school were assigned to a control (n = 46) or a 6-week SBPI (n = 46). Both groups recorded daily accrued pedometer steps. Grade point average (GPA), tardiness, absenteeism, and physical fitness scores were assessed. While baseline daily accrued step-counts were similar (p = NS), SBPI significantly increased daily accrued step-counts versus control (p < 0.05). During the study interval, academic performance increased in both groups, while SBPI had reduced tardiness (p < 0.05) and a tendency for reduced absenteeism (p = 0.06) postintervention. Shuttle and mile run performance decreased from pre- to postintervention in both groups. These data suggest that SBPI can increase physical activity levels and decrease tardiness in middle school students, without translating into short-term improvements in academic or physical fitness performance.

Running involvement and life satisfaction: The role of personality

ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence suggests that physically active leisure represents an important correlate of life satisfaction; however, the role that personality has on leisure involvement and life satisfaction remains ambiguous. This study explored whether the big-five personality traits explain running involvement and life satisfaction. Participants (N = 742) were recruited from a distance-running event held in the United States. The results revealed that conscientiousness had positive indirect effects on life satisfaction through attraction, centrality, and self-expression. Openness to experience also had positive indirect effects on life satisfaction through attraction and self-expression. These findings indicate that greater life satisfaction occurs for individuals with high conscientiousness and openness to experience through the enjoyment derived from running and the expression of identity through running.

In the Huddle

Sport and exercise psychology has predominately focused on performance improvement; however, as the world faces issues of globesity and other chronic illnesses, we find ourselves uniquely positioned to apply our expertise and training to address these larger issues of public health relevance, that is physical activity adoption and maintenance. In fact, children and adolescents are a population most vulnerable and after-school youth sport programs can be a solution to this public health crisis. However, the number one cited reason among both girls and boys for dropping out of youth sport is that it is no longer fun. Indeed, sport and exercise psychology consultants can play a pivotal role in the promotion of physical activity and wellness at this grassroots level through the provision of applied services that address issues of participation, namely retention and attrition from youth sport. Using self-determination theory and behavioral economics as guiding theoretical frameworks, practitioners can work with youth sport participants, parents, coaches, and league administrators to foster fun, choice-driven, and rewarding sport experiences such that children and adolescents want to participate in them. This is significant because children’s physical activity and health promoting behaviors track into adulthood. Thus, as practitioners, we are uniquely qualified to act as public health stewards in the health promotion and disease prevention of children, adolescents, and families through sport.