The utility of instrumented dual-task gait and tablet-based neurocognitive measurements after concussion.

Objectives: Quantitative and non-invasive measurements acquired by neurocognitive or gait evaluations are useful concussion management components. Emerging technology has allowed for the development of portable and objective tests which may be potentially useful across many settings where evaluations take place. Our aim was to examine the association between instrumented dual-task gait and tablet-based neurocognitive outcome variables with an acute concussion.

The Association between Dual-Task Gait after Concussion and Prolonged Symptom Duration.

Quantitative gait measurements can identify persistent postconcussion impairments. However, their prognostic utility after injury to identify the likelihood of prolonged concussion symptoms remains unknown. Our objective was to examine if dual-task gait performance measures are independently associated with persistent (> 28 days) concussion symptoms among a sample of athletes.

Evidence of Concussion Signs in National Rugby League Match Play: a Video Review and Validation Study.

Background: Many professional sports have introduced sideline video review to help recognise concussions. The reliability and validity of identifying clinical and observable signs of concussion using video analysis has not been extensively explored. This study examined the reliability and validity of clinical signs of concussion using video analysis in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Near Point of Convergence and Gait Deficits in Adolescents After Sport-Related Concussion.

Objective: To prospectively examine gait characteristics of participants acutely after concussion with and without receded near point of convergence (NPC), compared with healthy controls.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Sports-medicine clinic.

Economic Spillovers From Public Investments in Medical Countermeasures: A Case Study of a Burn Debridement Product.

Objective: The US federal government invests in the development of medical countermeasures for addressing adverse health effects to the civilian population from chemical, biological, and radiological or nuclear threats. We model the potential economic spillover effects in day-to-day burn care for a federal investment in a burn debridement product for responding to an improvised nuclear device.

Methods: We identify and assess 4 primary components for projecting the potential economic spillover benefits of a burn debridement product: (1) market size, (2) clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, (3) product cost, and (4) market adoption rates.

The Effect of Stride Length and Lateral Pelvic Tilt on Elbow Torque in Youth Baseball Pitchers.

High elbow torque during a pitch may contribute to injury risk. Our objective was to determine the pitch mechanics associated with elbow varus torque in youth baseball pitchers. Eighteen male youth pitchers (age = 15.

Cortical and Physical Function after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association between intracortical inhibition and functional recovery after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Methods: Twenty individuals with mTBI and 20 matched control participants were assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation, the Attentional Network Test, and gait analysis. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to longitudinally examine potential differences between groups and relationships in the pattern of recovery in cortical silent period (CSP) duration, cognitive reaction time, and single- and dual-task walking speeds across five testing time points.

Neurological tests improve after Olympic-style boxing bouts: a pretournament and post-tournament study in the 2016 Women's World Boxing Championships.

Aim: To prospectively examine the neurocognitive, postural, dual-task and visual abilities of female Olympic-style boxers before and after participation in a tournament.

Methods: Sixty-one females completed the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS), King-Devick test and 3 m timed-up-and-go test in single-task and dual-task conditions. A subset (n=31) completed the CogState computerised neurocognitive test.

Dual-task gait differences in female and male adolescents following sport-related concussion.

Concussion may affect females and males differentially. Identification of gender-related differences after concussion, therefore, may help clinicians with individualized evaluations. We examined potential differences in dual-task gait between females and males after concussion.

Injury Prevention in Youth Sports.

Children and adolescents are now participating in competitive sports at younger ages and with increasing intensity. As a result, increasing numbers of young athletes are presenting to pediatricians for care of sports-related injuries and advice about prevention. Understanding and identifying modifiable risk factors for injury in the young athletic population is a critical first step in injury prevention.

Renal biopsy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Not just lupus glomerulonephritis!

Kidney biopsy is a mainstay in the diagnosis and management of renal disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Though biopsies from patients with lupus typically show various forms of immune complex glomerulonephritis, other pathologies are occasionally encountered, including unusual lupus-related nephropathies, other forms of autoimmune disease, and occasional renal disorders without any direct connection with lupus or autoimmunity. Electron microscopy is a powerful tool for detecting and classifying these unusual conditions, which frequently have important therapeutic and prognostic implications.

Single-task and dual-task tandem gait test performance after concussion.

Objectives: To compare single-task and dual-task tandem gait test performance between athletes after concussion with controls on observer-timed, spatio-temporal, and center-of-mass (COM) balance control measurements.

Design: Ten participants (19.0±5.

Physical activity outside of organised sports is associated with functional performance.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine whether high levels of strenuous physical activity outside of organised sports are associated with better functional test performance.

Methods: Youth athletes (n = 445, mean = 14.2 ± 2.

Functionalization of Ultrabithorax Materials with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Enhances Angiogenic Activity.

Successful design of tissue engineering scaffolds must include the ability to stimulate vascular development by incorporating angiogenic growth factors. Current approaches can allow diffusion of growth factors, incorporate active factors randomly, or can leave residual toxins. We addressed these problems by genetically fusing the gene encoding Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) with the Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene to produce fusion proteins capable of self-assembly into materials.

The Effect of Prior Concussion History on Dual-Task Gait following a Concussion.

Sustaining repeated concussions has been associated with worse outcomes after additional injuries. This effect has been identified using symptom inventories and neurocognitive tests; however, few investigations have examined how a prior concussion history affects gait soon after a subsequent concussion. We examined the gait characteristics of athletes with no documented concussion history (n = 31), athletes recovering from their first lifetime concussion (n = 15), and athletes recovering from their second or greater lifetime concussion (n = 22).

Assessment of the Postural Stability of Female and Male Athletes.

Objective: Postural stability is often affected by sport-related injuries and subsequently evaluated during postinjury examinations. Intrinsic factors, however, may also affect postural control. We sought to compare the postural control of female and male athletes as measured simultaneously by (1) the modified balance error scoring system (mBESS) and (2) a video-force plate system.

Consistency and cost of dual-task gait balance measure in healthy adolescents and young adults.

Matched control data are commonly used to examine recovery from concussion. Limited data exist, however, examining dual-task gait data consistency collected over time in healthy individuals. The study purposes were to: 1) assess the consistency of single-task and dual-task gait balance control measures, 2) determine the minimal detectable change (MDC) of gait balance control measures, and 3) examine the extent to which age and task complexity affect dual-task walking costs in healthy adolescents and young adults.

Initial somatic symptoms are associated with prolonged symptom duration following concussion in adolescents.

Aim: To determine which initial postinjury symptom domains are independently associated with symptoms lasting >28 days in youth athletes who sustained sport-related concussions.

Methods: Patients who presented for care at a sport concussion clinic completed the postconcussion symptom scale. They were classified into two groups: those who reported symptom resolution within 28 days of injury and those who did not.

Examination of Age-Related Differences on Clinical Tests of Postural Stability.

Background: The modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS) and Y-Balance Test are common clinical measurements of postural control, but little is known about the effect of age on performance of these tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine how healthy child and adolescent athletes perform on 2 common clinical measurements of postural control.

Hypothesis: Younger athletes would demonstrate poorer postural control compared with older athletes.

In Vitro Expansion of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alters DNA Double Strand Break Repair of Etoposide Induced DNA Damage.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of interest for use in diverse cellular therapies. Ex vivo expansion of MSCs intended for transplantation must result in generation of cells that maintain fidelity of critical functions. Previous investigations have identified genetic and phenotypic alterations of MSCs with in vitro passage, but little is known regarding how culturing influences the ability of MSCs to repair double strand DNA breaks (DSBs), the most severe of DNA lesions.

Single-leg postural stability deficits following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in pediatric and adolescent athletes.

The objective of this study was to compare the postural stability of pediatric and adolescent athletes without anterior cruciate ligament injury with those who underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction (ACLR). Postural stability ratings derived from a video-force plate system during the three stances of the modified Balance Error Scoring System were collected from pediatric and adolescent athletes who underwent ACLR (N=24; mean 1.2 years after surgery) and from uninjured controls (N=479).