BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine最新文献

Physical activity is essential to a healthy lifestyle for adults with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Although exercise is recognised as an important tool for improving the well-being and independence of people with SCI, most individuals do not engage in physical exercise. Traditional exercise programmes often require participation in rehabilitation centres or specialised facilities, making them less accessible for individuals with chronic SCI. Many people with SCI live in rural communities and other geographically isolated areas where access to fitness facilities and outdoor recreational areas involves long commutes or expensive transportation, which is one of the most common barriers to exercise reported by people with physical disabilities. Consequently, exercise remains an underused intervention for improving health and function in people with SCI despite its proven effects in reducing pain, fatigue, fall risk and other secondary health conditions. This pilot study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based supervised exercise programme for individuals with chronic SCI. The study will be an interventional and prospective pilot study. People with SCI will participate in a 3-month home-based exercise programme. Primary outcomes will include adherence to the exercise programme, while secondary outcomes will encompass quality of life, functional capacity, musculoskeletal health and clinical parameters. The programme will be structured into 1-hour sessions, held twice weekly for 3 months, conducted online and in small groups. The results of this study could be relevant for future indications of the best setting and strategy to ensure adherence to physical activity.

Background: Diagnosis and recovery tracking of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is often challenging due to the lack of clear findings on routine imaging techniques. This also complicates defining safe points for returning to activities.

Hypothesis/purpose: Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can provide information about cerebral venous oxygen saturation (CSvO₂) in the context of brain injury. We tested the prediction that these imaging modalities would enable the detection of changes and recovery patterns in the brains of patients with mTBI.

Study design: In a case-control study, we recruited a cohort of 24 contact sport athletes for baseline QSM and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) scanning. Two of those who subsequently experienced head impact with significant post-injury symptoms underwent scans at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days post-injury; one had a boxing match without classical mTBI symptoms were also followed-up on.

Results: The cohort baseline QSM measurements of the straight sinus were established. The two injured athletes with post-impact symptoms consistent with mTBI had susceptibility results at days 3 and 7 post-impact that fell below the 25th percentile of the baseline values. The per cent amplitude fluctuation quantified from rs-fMRI agreed with the susceptibility trends in the straight sinus.

Conclusion: QSM holds promise as a diagnostic tool for tracking mTBI progression or recovery in contact sport head injury.

Objectives: To examine the propensity of tackle height and the number of tacklers that result in head acceleration events (HAEs) in elite-level male and female rugby tackles.

Methods: Instrumented mouthguard data were collected from women (n=67) and men (n=72) elite-level rugby players from five elite and three international teams. Peak linear acceleration and peak angular acceleration were extracted from HAEs. Propensities for HAEs at a range of thresholds were calculated as the proportion of tackles/carries that resulted in an HAE exceeding a given magnitude for coded tackle height (low, medium, high) and number of tacklers. Propensity ratios with 95% CIs were calculated for tackle heights and number of tacklers.

Results: High tackles had a 32.7 (95% CI=6.89 to 155.02) and 41.2 (95% CI=9.22 to 184.58) propensity ratio to cause ball carrier HAEs>30 g compared with medium tackles for men and women, respectively. Low tackles had a 2.6 (95% CI=1.91 to 3.42) and 5.3 (95% CI=3.28 to 8.53) propensity ratio to cause tackler HAEs>30 g compared with medium tackles for men and women, respectively. In men, multiple tacklers had a higher propensity ratio (6.1; 95% CI=3.71 to 9.93) than singular tacklers to cause ball carrier HAEs>30 g but a lower propensity ratio (0.4; 95% CI=0.29 to 0.56) to cause tackler HAEs>30 g. No significant differences were observed in female tacklers or carriers for singular or multiple tacklers.

Conclusion: To limit HAE exposure, rule changes and coaching interventions that promote tacklers aiming for the torso (medium tackle) could be explored, along with changes to multiple tackler events in the male game.