Item Details

abstract

Much of the literature surrounding traumatic brain injuries is focused on concussions and only examines collegiate or professional athletes, despite majority of athletes being youth or high school players. In addition, most of the head impacts in contact sports are non-concussive. This study sought to examine the effects of repetitive non-concussive head impacts on the anxiety and depression of youth athletes after only a single season of play. Sixty-five football players and 17 control athletes completed the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Self-Report scale and underwent fMRI imaging at the beginning and end of the season. Head impacts were measured at all practices and games using a Head Impact Telemetry system. The change in interhemispheric connectivity of 20 regions of interests associated with anxiety and depression was examined. Overall, there were no differences in the change in anxiety and depression between the football and control athletes. Neither the change in anxiety and depression nor the amount and severity of non-concussive head impacts significantly predicted changes in interhemispheric connectivity. This is a positive first step to show that football did not produce increases in depression or alterations in brain connectivity. The study should be expanded before definitive conclusions can be reached.

subject

anxiety

depression

Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS)

RWE

sub-concussive head impacts

TBI

contributor

Beck, Katherine Olivia (author)

Whitlow, Christopher T (committee chair)

Tegeler, Charles H (committee member)

Rukstalis, Margaret R (committee member)

date

2019-05-24T08:35:51Z (accessioned)

2021-05-23T08:30:10Z (available)

2019 (issued)

degree

Neuroscience (discipline)

embargo

2021-05-23 (terms)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/93990 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

title

The effect of non-concussive head impacts on the anxiety and depression of youth football players after a single season

type

Thesis