INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 03 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 09:30 am - 10:40 am Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 03: Neurotrauma \| Neurovascular Final Abstract #15 Grit and Post-Concussive Recovery in Collegiate Athletes Evan Clise, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States Jessica Poskus, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States Anthony LoGalbo, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States Category: Concussion/Mild TBI (Adult) Keyword 1: concussion/ mild traumatic brain injury Keyword 2: sports-related neuropsychology Objective: To investigate the relationship between grit (i.e., trait-level passion and perseverance for long-term goals) and post-concussive recovery in collegiate athletes. Participants and Methods: 50 concussed collegiate athletes (37 males, 13 females, ages 17-23) were administered the 12-Item Grit Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9th Edition (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7th Edition (GAD-7), and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5th Edition (SCAT-5) at post-injury and follow-up. Total scores were calculated for the Grit, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 questionnaires. Grit subscale scores (Perseverance of Effort [Grit-PE] and Consistency of Interest [Grit-CI]), SCAT-5 Total Symptom Scores, and SCAT-5 Symptom Severity Scores were calculated via scoring guidelines. Total recovery time was calculated as the number of days between post-injury and follow-up when asymptomatic and cognitively returned to baseline; outliers were removed prior to analysis. Results: Grit Total Scores and Grit-PE Scores significantly increased from post-injury (M=3.70, SD=0.47; M=4.31, SD=0.51) to follow-up (M=3.77, SD=0.43; M=4.43, SD=0.49); t(49)=1.74, p=.044, t(49)=2.44, p=.009. In contrast, Grit-CI Scores remained stable from post-injury (M=3.10, SD=0.78) to follow-up (M=3.12, SD=0.76); t(49)=0.36, p=.360. Additionally, post-injury Grit-PE Scores were found to significantly predict total recovery time; b=-5.13, p=.016, R²=0.12. Furthermore, post-injury Grit-PE Scores were significantly, negatively correlated with post-injury PHQ-9 (M=4.98, SD=4.48; b=-0.34, p=.016) and GAD-7 Total Scores (M=3.00, SD=3.26; b=-0.37, p=.008), but were not significantly correlated with post-injury SCAT-5 Total Symptom Scores (M=10.42, SD=5.70; b=-0.11, p=.461) or Symptom Severity Scores (M=21.74, SD=15.44; b=-0.02, p=.868). Lastly, via the Baron and Kenny (1986) method, post-injury GAD-7 Total Scores (b=1.16, p<.001) were found to fully mediate the relationship between Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time, with a significant indirect effect (Z=-2.25, SE=1.23, p=.024). After controlling for GAD-7 Total Scores, the relationship between Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time became insignificant (b=-2.37, p=.232). Notably, when examining the mediating effects of post-injury PHQ-9 Total Scores on the relationship between post-injury Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time, the indirect effect was not significant (Z=-1.59, SE=0.93, p=.112). Conclusions: Results suggest that athletes’ perceptions of their ability to overcome setbacks increase following recovery from a concussion. Athletes may cognitively appraise their concussion as a challenging event to overcome and therefore interpret recovery as an indicator of their perseverance. Future studies investigating athletes’ appraisals of their injury event may provide further clarification of this relationship. Additionally, post-concussive mood symptomatology appears to negatively affect athletes’ perceptions of their perseverance of effort following an injury. Athletes presenting with anxiety at post-injury may also be at a higher risk for negative recovery outcomes compared to those presenting with depression. These findings provide evidence for the importance of early identification and treatment of negative mood symptoms in concussed athletes. Routine mental health screenings and promotion of anxiety-specific treatment strategies may also aid in the prevention or reduction of this effect following an injury. Furthermore, higher levels of perseverance of effort at post-injury appear to be a positive predictive factor for shorter recovery times; athletes may benefit from psychoeducation regarding strategies to build and maintain resilience following a concussion to support faster recovery.

Poster

02/15/2024
09:30 am - 10:40 am
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 03: Neurotrauma | Neurovascular

Final Abstract #15

Grit and Post-Concussive Recovery in Collegiate Athletes

Evan Clise, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States
Jessica Poskus, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States
Anthony LoGalbo, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States

Category: Concussion/Mild TBI (Adult)

Keyword 1: concussion/ mild traumatic brain injury
Keyword 2: sports-related neuropsychology

Objective:

To investigate the relationship between grit (i.e., trait-level passion and perseverance for long-term goals) and post-concussive recovery in collegiate athletes.

Participants and Methods:

50 concussed collegiate athletes (37 males, 13 females, ages 17-23) were administered the 12-Item Grit Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9th Edition (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7th Edition (GAD-7), and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5th Edition (SCAT-5) at post-injury and follow-up. Total scores were calculated for the Grit, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 questionnaires. Grit subscale scores (Perseverance of Effort [Grit-PE] and Consistency of Interest [Grit-CI]), SCAT-5 Total Symptom Scores, and SCAT-5 Symptom Severity Scores were calculated via scoring guidelines. Total recovery time was calculated as the number of days between post-injury and follow-up when asymptomatic and cognitively returned to baseline; outliers were removed prior to analysis.

Results:

Grit Total Scores and Grit-PE Scores significantly increased from post-injury (M=3.70, SD=0.47; M=4.31, SD=0.51) to follow-up (M=3.77, SD=0.43; M=4.43, SD=0.49); t(49)=1.74, p=.044, t(49)=2.44, p=.009. In contrast, Grit-CI Scores remained stable from post-injury (M=3.10, SD=0.78) to follow-up (M=3.12, SD=0.76); t(49)=0.36, p=.360. Additionally, post-injury Grit-PE Scores were found to significantly predict total recovery time; b=-5.13, p=.016, R²=0.12. Furthermore, post-injury Grit-PE Scores were significantly, negatively correlated with post-injury PHQ-9 (M=4.98, SD=4.48; b=-0.34, p=.016) and GAD-7 Total Scores (M=3.00, SD=3.26; b=-0.37, p=.008), but were not significantly correlated with post-injury SCAT-5 Total Symptom Scores (M=10.42, SD=5.70; b=-0.11, p=.461) or Symptom Severity Scores (M=21.74, SD=15.44; b=-0.02, p=.868). Lastly, via the Baron and Kenny (1986) method, post-injury GAD-7 Total Scores (b=1.16, p<.001) were found to fully mediate the relationship between Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time, with a significant indirect effect (Z=-2.25, SE=1.23, p=.024). After controlling for GAD-7 Total Scores, the relationship between Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time became insignificant (b=-2.37, p=.232). Notably, when examining the mediating effects of post-injury PHQ-9 Total Scores on the relationship between post-injury Grit-PE Scores and total recovery time, the indirect effect was not significant (Z=-1.59, SE=0.93, p=.112).

Conclusions:

Results suggest that athletes’ perceptions of their ability to overcome setbacks increase following recovery from a concussion. Athletes may cognitively appraise their concussion as a challenging event to overcome and therefore interpret recovery as an indicator of their perseverance. Future studies investigating athletes’ appraisals of their injury event may provide further clarification of this relationship. Additionally, post-concussive mood symptomatology appears to negatively affect athletes’ perceptions of their perseverance of effort following an injury. Athletes presenting with anxiety at post-injury may also be at a higher risk for negative recovery outcomes compared to those presenting with depression. These findings provide evidence for the importance of early identification and treatment of negative mood symptoms in concussed athletes. Routine mental health screenings and promotion of anxiety-specific treatment strategies may also aid in the prevention or reduction of this effect following an injury. Furthermore, higher levels of perseverance of effort at post-injury appear to be a positive predictive factor for shorter recovery times; athletes may benefit from psychoeducation regarding strategies to build and maintain resilience following a concussion to support faster recovery.