Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28831759›Full record

ArticleSports medicine - open2017

Evidence of Concussion Signs in National Rugby League Match Play: a Video Review and Validation Study.

Andrew J Gardner, David R Howell, Christopher R Levi, Grant L Iverson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sports medicine - open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Andrew J GardnerCentre for Stroke and Brain Injury, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia. Andrew.Gardner@neurogard.com.au.
David R HowellThe Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.
Christopher R LeviCentre for Stroke and Brain Injury, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.
Grant L IversonCenter for Health and Rehabilitation, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, 79/96 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMany professional sports have introduced sideline video review to help recognise concussions. The reliability and validity of identifying clinical and observable signs of concussion using video analysis has not been extensively explored. This study examined the reliability and validity of clinical signs of concussion using video analysis in the National Rugby League (NRL).

methodsAll 201 professional NRL matches from the 2014 season were reviewed to document six signs of possible concussion (unresponsiveness, slow to get up, clutching/shaking head, gait ataxia, vacant stare, and seizure).

resultsA total of 127,062 tackles were reviewed. Getting up slowly was the most common observable sign (2240 times in the season, 1.8% of all tackles) but only 223 times where it appeared to be a possible concussion (0.2% of all tackles and 10.0% of the times it occurred). Additionally, clutching/shaking the head occurred 361 times (on 212 occasions this sign appeared to be due to a possible concussion), gait ataxia was observed 102 times, a vacant stare was noted 98 times, unresponsiveness 52 times, and a possible seizure 4 times. On 383 occasions, one or more of the observable signs were identified and deemed associated with a possible concussion. There were 175 incidences in which a player appeared to demonstrate two or more concussion signs, and 54 incidences where a player appeared to demonstrate three or more concussion signs. A total of 60 diagnosed concussions occurred, and the concussion interchange rule was activated 167 times. Intra-rater reliability (κ = 0.65-1.00) was moderate to perfect for all six video signs; however, the inter-rater reliability was not as strong (κ = 0.22-0.76). Most of the signs had relatively low sensitivity (0.18-0.75), but high specificity (0.85-1.00).

conclusionsUsing video replay, observable signs of concussion appear to be sensitive to concussion diagnoses when reviewing known injuries among professional rugby league players. When reviewing an entire season, however, certain signs occur very commonly and did not identify concussion. Thus, the implementation of video review in the NRL is challenging, but can provide a useful addition to sideline concussion identification and removal from play decisions.

Indexed as

ConcussionInjury managementReturn to playVideo analysis

Identifiers

PMID28831759
PMCPMC5567587

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.