Atypical Dual Task Neural Recruitment in Young Adult Athletes with Repeat Sports-Related Concussion
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Ray Hernandez, Bennett Alterman, Austin Mohler
Presenter(s): Ray Hernandez
Mentors(s): Jaclyn Stephens
Brain activity is impacted by sports-related concussion (SRC) in young adults. Prior research has demonstrated that SRC can have long-lasting effects and alter neural activity during dual task performance, showing decreased activation compared to never-injured athletes. The purpose of this study is to replicate these findings. We hypothesized that during dual task performance, athletes with rSRC would have decreased activity in the bilateral prefrontal cortices compared to never-injured athletes. 20 athletes with rSRC, and 20 never-injured controls completed single motor, single cognitive, and dual task conditions with simultaneous portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measurement. Between-group contrasts revealed the rSRC group had significantly lower neural recruitment than controls in the left prefrontal cortex. Our findings replicate the conclusions of prior studies, showing decreased neural recruitment in athletes with rSRC. As these atypical recruitment patterns may reflect incomplete neurophysiological recovery after rSRC, future work will consider how altered brain activity may impact behavioral performance.