Exposure to Head Impacts and Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in Youth Tackle Football Players Across 4 Seasons.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Repetitive head impacts have been posited to contribute to neurocognitive and behavioral difficulties in contact sport athletes.

Objective

To identify associations between cognitive and behavioral outcomes and head impacts measured in youth tackle football players over 4 seasons of play.

Design, setting, and participants

This prospective cohort study was conducted from July 2016 through January 2020, spanning 4 football seasons. The setting was a youth tackle football program and outpatient medical clinic. Players were recruited from 4 football teams composed of fifth and sixth graders, and all interested players who volunteered to participate were enrolled. Data analysis was performed from March 2020 to June 2021.

Exposures

Impacts were measured usi

SUBMITTER: Rose SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8719231 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature