Improvement in Symptoms and Cognitive Measurements in a High School Hockey Player with Protracted Concussion Symptoms
Matthew Antonucci1, 2*, Chris M. Sass1, 2 and Brian J. Sass1, 2
1 Plasticity Brain Centers, United States
2 Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies, United States
Background: An 18 year old, high school, male hockey player, with a history of 7 documented concussions, presented with symptoms of headache, “brain fog”, and sluggishness. Graded Symptom Checklist (GSC) severity was a 14/138. Standard Assessment of Cognition (SAC) was scored at 21/30. Trails A (TA) and Trails B (TB) had scores of 22.3 sec and 51.8 seconds respectively; Trails AB Difference (TB-A) was 29.5 sec. Processing Speed (PS) score was a 52/80. Choice Reaction Time (cRT) latency was 462 milliseconds.
Methods: A four-day, multi-modal program of neurological rehabilitation was administered three times per day, for one hour per session. Each session consisted of electrical somatosensory stimulation, neuromuscular reeducation exercises, vestibular rehabilitation exercises, off-vertical axis rotation, and eye exercises.
Results: At the end of four days of treatment there was complete resolution of symptoms; GSC severity (-100%). The patient had an increased SAC score (+28.6%), decreased TA time (-19.3%), decreased TB time (-25.3%), TB-A decreased (-29.8%), increased PS score (+21.2%), and decreased cRT latency (-21.2%).
Conclusion: Short duration, multi-modal, intensive programs of neurological rehabilitation may be a viable method to improve neurological integrity and performance in individuals with protracted concussive deficits. The authors suggest further investigation into short duration, multi-modal, intensive approaches to restoring neurological function in individuals suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Keywords: Keywords: performance enhancement, Vestibular Rehabilitation, balance, Visual Acuity, Cognition
Conference: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration, Orlando, Florida, United States, 10 Dec - 14 Dec, 2015.
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Topic: Case Reports for Poster Presentation
Citation:
Antonucci M, Sass CM and Sass BJ (2015). ABSTRACT: IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS AND COGNITIVE MEASUREMENTS IN A HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY PLAYER WITH PROTRACTED CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS. Front. Neurol. Conference Abstract: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration. doi: 10.3389/conf.fneur.2015.58.00046
Received: 29 Oct 2015; Published Online: 02 Nov 2015.
Footnotes:
1 Plasticity Brain Centers, United States
2 Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies, United States
Correspondence: Dr. Matthew Antonucci, Plasticity Brain Centers, Orlando, United States, mantonucci@carrickinstitute.com