Neuropsychology of Sports-related Concussion

This book explores neuropsychological considerations in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of sports-related concussions and their aftereffects.
 
Up to ten percent of all athletes in contact sports will suffer from concussion at some point, and as many as 3 million sports-related concussions are reported each year.  In this volume, expert contributors in neuropsychology and sports medicine describe treatment for persistent postconcussive symptoms, including posttraumatic headache and migraine, depression and anxiety. They explore genetic factors that can impact symptoms and diagnosis, as well as the use of neuroimaging in diagnosis and treatment; measurement issues such as sex differences, assessment of effort in evaluations, and computerized testing that can affect the validity of neuropsychological results; and exciting new treatment options such as virtual reality tools. 

Given the recent shocking findings on the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in professional football players, the importance of correctly diagnosing and treating sports-related concussions cannot be overstated. Neuropsychology of Sports-Related Concussion gives clinicians and researchers the tools they need to combat this problem, and help save lives.    

Peter A. Arnett, PhD, received his doctorate in psychology (Clinical) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is currently a psychology professor and director of the Neuropsychology of Sports Concussion and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Programs at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Dr. Arnett’s research has focused on clinical neuropsychology, with an emphasis on understanding cognitive and emotional functioning in those who have suffered from sports-related concussion or MS. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) and a past winner of NAN’s Nelson Butters Award for Research Contributions to Clinical Neuropsychology. He is the author of more than 130 research articles and book chapters and has edited another book, Secondary Influences on Neuropsychological Test Performance. Dr. Arnett has given numerous national and international talks on sports-related concussion and on MS. He has worked clinically with hundreds of people who have experienced sports-related concussions. Dr. Arnett has served as the program chair of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) meeting, editor of the NAN Bulletin, a board member of the INS, and the director of clinical training at Penn State.

Contributors
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Peter A. Arnett
I. Symptom Outcomes and Management
Chapter 1. Persistent Postconcussive Symptoms After Sport-Related Concussion
Michael A. McCrea, Breton M. Asken, Lindsay D. Nelson, and William B. Barr
Chapter 2. Posttraumatic Headache and Migraine Assessment and Management After Sport-Related Concussion
Melissa N. Womble, Jill R. Henley, Sheri A. Fedor, and Michael W. Collins
Chapter 3. Assessment of Depression and Anxiety in Sports Concussion Evaluations
Peter A. Arnett, Erin Guty, and Megan Bradson
II. Biological Underpinnings and Consequences
Chapter 4. Integration of Genetic Factors With Neuropsychological Variables in Predicting Sports Concussion Outcome
Victoria C. Merritt and Peter A. Arnett
Chapter 5. Neuroimaging and Sports-Related Concussion
Emily C. Grossner, Andrew R. Mayer, and Frank G. Hillary
Chapter 6. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the Long-Term Consequences of Repetitive Head Impacts in Sports
Michael L. Alosco, Rose C. Healy, and Robert A. Stern
III. Factors Affecting the Validity of Neuropsychological Results
Chapter 7. Sex Differences in Sports-Related Concussion
Tracey Covassin, Abigail C. Bretzin, and Meghan E. Fox
Chapter 8. Assessment of Effort in Sports Concussion Evaluations
Amanda R. Rabinowitz
Chapter 9. The Validity of Neuropsychological Tests in Sports-Related Concussions
Arthur Maerlender
Chapter 10. Do Traditional Neuropsychological Measures Add Value to Computerized Tests for Concussion Assessment in Collegiate Athletes?
Jessica Meyer and Peter A. Arnett
IV. Specialty Contributions to Sports Concussion
Chapter 11. Professional Sports Neuropsychology
Ruben J. Echemendia, Jared M. Bruce, and Morgan Glusman
Chapter 12. Application of Virtual Reality in Assessment and Treatment of Concussion
Alexa E. Walter and Semyon M. Slobounov
Chapter 13. Neuropsychological Assessment of Concussion in Pediatric Populations
Frank M. Webbe and Denise S. Vagt
Chapter 14. Management of Sports-Related Concussions in an Orthopaedic Setting
Neha Gupta and Wayne J. Sebastianelli
Chapter 15. Where Are We Now, and Where Do We Go From Here?
Peter A. Arnett
Index
About the Editor