Nächtliche sympathische Aktivität und subjektive Symptome nach sport-assoziierter Concussion: eine Pilotstudie [Nocturnal Sympathetic Activity and Subjective Symptoms after Sport-Associated Concussion: a Pilot Study]

Delling, Carina Ann; Jakobsmeyer, Rasmus; Christiansen, Nele; Coenen, Jessica; Reinsberger, Claus

Zusammenfassung

Introduction A sport-associated concussion (saC) is an often-underestimated brain injury that is particularly common in contact and collision sports. SaCs can lead to a variety of clinical symptoms. Acute parasympathetic inhibition in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may persist beyond clinical regeneration and has often been described after saC. However, little is known about changes in the sympathetic nervous system. These were investigated in a pilot study by measuring electrodermal activity (EDA) during sleep, which contributes significantly to regeneration after saC, and in connection with subjective symptoms after saC. Method 18 athletes diagnosed with saC and 18 control athletes matched by age, gender, height, weight, type of sport and performance level wore a wrist sensor (E4 Empatica Inc., Milan,Italy) on the nights during their individual return-to-sport (RTS) phase and three weeks after completion of the RTS (postRTS). Proportions of nocturnal tonic EDA (meanEDA) and phasic EDA (EDRs, sleep storms) were determined for group comparison and compared with saC symptoms (SCAT5) and the subjective state of recovery after sleep using Mann-Whitney U-tests or unpaired t-tests. Results During and after the RTS, no group differences in the nocturnal EDA parameters could be detected. Higher meanEDA during RTS correlated with a higher number of symptoms (p=0,025, r=0,525) and increased phasic EDA correlated with a smaller increase in subjective recovery from before to after sleep (EDRs: p=0,007, r=−0,642; EDRs/min: p>0,001, r=−0,762; Sleep storms: p=0,011, r=−0,616). Conclusion The nocturnal EDA in the saC group did not differ significantly during and after the RTS compared to matched control athletes. The association between higher EDA during RTS and the number of saC symptoms and lower subjective recovery after sleep may be both causative and effective of subjective symptoms and should be further investigated by baseline measurements and in combination with parasympathetic markers in the future.