Youth with concussion have less adaptable gait patterns than their uninjured peers: Implications for concussion management

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare cross-recurrence quantification analysis measurements obtained during gait between adolescents who sustained a diagnosed concussion within 14 days of assessment and healthy adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Youth athletes with concussion (n = 43; mean ± SD age, 14.4 ± 2.3 years; 56% female; tested median, 7 days post concussion) and healthy controls (n = 38; age, 14.9 ± 2.0 years; 55% female) completed a single-task and dualtask gait protocol while wearing a set of inertial sensors. We used cross-recurrence quantification analysis techniques to quantify the similarity between accelerations obtained from the sensor on the dorsum of each foot. Four outcome variables were compared between groups: percent determinism, average diagonal-line length, laminarity, and trapping time. RESULTS: Athletes with concussion had significantly higher percent determinism, laminarity, and trapping time than the control group in single-task and dual-task conditions (P