Visual Information Processing and Eye Tracking from Sports Related Concussions

Background: Sports-related concussions (SRC) lead to deficits in cognitive and neurobehavioral function, short-term memory, academic performance, and visual tracking. Limited research exists regarding SRC effects on visual information processing. This study explores visual information processing skills before and after a SRC in collegiate student-athletes. In addition, it investigates whether student-athletes with a history of SRC will perform worse than those without a history of SRC.
Methods: Visual memory, reading and language, figure ground, spatial relationships, and tracking eye movements were tested at pre-season baseline, post-concussion, and at the end of in-season competition in student-athletes participating in men’s ice hockey and women’s soccer at Ferris State University (N = 52; 27 males, 25 females). An analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences in visual information processing scores in student-athletes with and without a SRC.
Results: 26 players (50%) reported a history of 1 or more concussions prior to this study (15 hockey, 11 soccer). During the season in which research was conducted, a total of 5 concussions (9.6%) were diagnosed (3 hockey, 2 soccer), however 1 concussed player left the team before testing could be completed. Through the use of pre and postseason testing methods and t-tests, change in standard scores from pre to postseason show no statistically significant difference between student-athletes with and without SRC during the season with the exception of phonetic decoding which was significant (p = 0.014).
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Student athletes with a lifetime history of concussion did not show a significant difference in pre to postseason standard score gains compared to those without a history of concussion.
Conclusion: Visual information processing skills following a collegiate SRC are statistically insignificant from collegiate student-athletes without SRC, using data obtained from a small sample participating in two sports with the exception of phonemic decoding. Previous research indicates neurological function and the visual system are highly susceptible to concussive events. It is recommended that all athletes should be evaluated prior to and following SRC and participate in rehabilitative therapies as necessary. Further study is needed on visual information processing and eye tracking resulting from SRC within different sports and age groups with larger sample sizes.