Project 466877

Sport related concussion is a common brain injury that happens following a physical force to the head or body. Having a sport related concussion involves short-term disruption in brain function and clinical symptoms. The long-term impacts of a sport related concussion experienced during youth are not known. This is an issue, as the body undergoes much development during youth (ages 11-18). Concussion also impacts the ability to exercise and the autonomic nervous system, which control important body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. Inability to exercise and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system are linked to conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, depression, and death. Therefore, the goal of this project is to study the long-term (5-15 year) autonomic impacts of sport related concussion experienced during youth. Special attention will be paid to how males and females are different, as concussion is known to present differently across sex. To achieve these goals, participants will have their heart activity and blood pressure measured as they perform resting and exercise tasks. The values of those who had a youth sport related concussion 5-15 years ago will be compared to those who had a muscle/skeletal injury or no injury during youth sport 5-15 years ago. The findings of this study will help determine if sport related concussion is linked to long-term exercise intolerance and autonomic nervous system issues. They will inform whether the long-term impacts of sport related concussion differ between males and females, and will inform treatment strategies to help concussed patients recover.