U.S. researchers say they developed a reliable exercise test for concussion to help sports team physicians decide on a player's readiness to return to play.
Specialists at the University at Buffalo's concussion clinic say some team officials asked a player who had had a concussion to skate hard or run fast at a practice and then ask if they had any symptoms.
"There was no systematic nature to the decision, which is so critical to the health of the player," senior author Barry Willer says in a statement.
The study was conducted in a consecutive sample of 21 athletes and non-athletes who came to the concussion clinic, who were evaluated while exercising on a treadmill. As the angle of the treadmill increases the workload, they are watched carefully for any signs or symptoms of exacerbation as they exercise to voluntary exhaustion.
Athletes are re-evaluated after one to two weeks of increasing exercise.
To confirm reliability, 10 participants were videotaped during the exercise sessions and the videos were viewed by 32 healthcare professionals who did not know the assessment of the other professionals.
The assessment procedure was found to be consistent over time and the researchers got the same results regardless of who made the assessment, Willer says.
The findings are published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.