Heart Rate Variability following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Observational Pilot Study
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background/Rationale: Concussion is of great concern within the pediatric sport population due to its high prevalence and potential impact on neurological development. There is a need for additional inexpensive and objective measures for concussion assessment and management. Heart rate variability (HRV), an objective marker of physiological stress can be used as a measure of stress capacity and may fill this gap. Methods Analyses: Participants included 29 healthy youth athletes (21 females; 8 males). The variables of interest in this thesis are post-concussion symptoms, concussion status, and time and frequency domain HRV measures. Results: There was a main effect of PCS-I on measures of HRV in the mixed model analysis, whereby, increased post-concussion symptoms were associated with higher heart rate variability. Conclusion: Changes in HRV were associated with an increase in post-concussion symptom inventory scores. These preliminary data may guide future research in determining a physiological marker of stress post-concussion.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Lee Verweel
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2556081466