Adolescent Concussion in High School Athletes
Neurodevelopmental Risks, Diagnostic Biomarkers, and Gaps in Clinical Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3016Keywords:
Adolescent, high school athletesAbstract
High school athletes are a population that face a significantly elevated risk of concussion. Despite this, research and resources remain heavily skewed toward collegiate and professional athletes. Adolescence is marked by ongoing development in the brain, especially in regions such as the prefrontal cortex, which increases the vulnerability to traumatic brain injuries. The following research synthesizes peer-reviewed literature on both cognitive and developmental consequences of concussions in U.S. high school athletes. It focuses on disparities in care access (notably in rural and underfunded schools), gender differences in symptoms and recovery, and the cumulative effect of subconcussive impacts with potential long term effects. Emerging research in the utility of exosomal biomarkers for longitudinal monitoring of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and post-concussion syndrome symptoms is also largely limited to adult populations, with adolescent-specific usage still in development. By combining findings from studies focused on adolescents and adults, the paper highlights important gaps in adolescent specific concussion management. This paper concludes with evidence-based recommendations to improve prevention, assessment, monitoring and recovery protocols that are specifically tailored for high school settings.
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