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Table 2 Studies investigating the effects of visual and sensorimotor performance on concussion risks

From: The Effects of Anticipation and Visual and Sensory Performance on Concussion Risk in Sport: A Review

 

Participants

Assessments

Relationships between visual and sensory performance and head impacts

Findings

Limitations

  

Visual and sensory measure

Linear head acceleration

Rotational head acceleration

HIT severity profile

Head impact frequency

  

 Harpham et al. [57]

38 Div I college American Football players

(20.4 ± 1.4 years; 190.2 ± 6.7 cm; 109.3 ± 17.8 kg)

Nike SPARQ sensory station

Head Impact Telemetry system

General linear mixed models to test relationship between visual performance and impact severity

Visual clarity (SVA)

Contrast sensitivity

Depth perception

Near-far quickness

Target capture (DVA)

Perception span

Eye-hand coordination

Go/No go decision making

Reaction time

–

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

–

–

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

–

–

–

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

↓ Risk

N/A

N/A

High performers on certain assessments were at lower risk of concussion

Small convenience sample: various player positions, single team, 1 playing season

Arbitrary cut-offs for ‘high’ and ‘low’ performers on Nike SPARQ station

 Schmidt et al. [58]

37 male high school American Football players

(16.59 ± 0.89 years; 180.35 ± 6.39 cm; 87.18 ± 19.03 kg)

Nike SPARQ sensory station

Head Impact Telemetry

Assessed odd ratios for sustaining moderate and severe head impacts

Visual clarity (SVA)

Contrast sensitivity

Depth perception

Near-far quickness

Target capture (DVA)

Perception span

Eye-hand coordination

Go/No go decision making

Reaction time

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

↑ Odds2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

↑ Odds2

–

–

–

↑ Odds1

–

–

–

–

↑ Odds1

N/A

Using a median split to classify high and low performers, higher performers did not reduce the odds of sustaining high-magnitude impacts

Small convenience sample: various player positions, single team, 1 playing season

Arbitrary cut-offs for ‘high’ and ‘low’ performers on Nike SPARQ station

 Kiefer et al. [53]

12 male high school ice hockey players

(16.50 ± 1.17 years; 177.79 ± 6.83 cm; 70.32 ± 7.19 kg)

Oculomotor performance

Head acceleration

3 tasks:

- Prosaccade task

- Self-paced saccade task

- Smooth pursuit task

Prosaccade latency

Prosaccade latency variability

Self-paced saccade velocity

Self-paced saccade initial error

Medium-speed smooth pursuit latency

Medium-speed smooth pursuit gaze velocity variability

Fast-speed smooth pursuit gaze velocity variability

N/A

N/A

N/A

–

↓ Risk

↑ Risk

–

–

↓ Risk

–

More variable oculomotor reaction time, faster saccadic eye motion and more variable gaze velocity when following a predictable target trajectory were related to an increased risk of head impacts

Higher variability of saccade latency and smooth pursuit tracking may indicate a lack of attention to task-relevant visual cues necessary to avoid collisions

There were no changes in concussion risk when accounting for accuracy of the self-paced saccade task

Small convenience sample: various player positions, single team, 1 playing season

Combination of anticipated and unanticipated hits analysed; no analysis of whether the impact was anticipated or not

  1. 1For moderate (HITsp: 11.7–15.7) and severe (HITsp: ≥ 15.7) head impacts
  2. 2For moderate (HITsp: 11.7–15.7) head impacts, but only tended to increase the odds
  3. DVA dynamic visual acuity