Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42404358›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of sports physical therapy2026

Psychological and Neuromechanical Recovery After Concussion: Dual-Task Stability and Kinesiophobia from Return to Play to Six Months.

Melissa Anderson, Daniel Le, Mallory Faherty, Carolyn Killelea, Jeffrey Bytomski, Corina Martinez, Michael Bergeron, Timothy Sell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of sports physical therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Melissa AndersonExercise Physiology Ohio University.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7626-6997
Daniel LeAnesthesiology Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Mallory FahertyResearch Institute OhioHealth.
Carolyn KilleleaOrthopaedic Surgery Duke University.
Jeffrey BytomskiDuke University Medical Center.
Corina MartinezDuke University Medical Center.
Michael BergeronHydration Heath Center and Department of Health Sciences University of Hartford.
Timothy SellMusculoskeletal Institute Atrium Health.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Sport-related concussion (SRC) increases the risk of subsequent musculoskeletal injury, yet the mechanisms underlying this vulnerability remain unclear. Fear of movement (kinesiophobia) may contribute to impaired motor control. Purpose: This study examined kinesiophobia and postural stability in adolescent athletes at return-to-play (RTP) after SRC and evaluated changes six months later. Design: Observational analytical study with cross-sectional (case-control) and prospective cohort components. Methods: Thirty-seven concussed athletes (15.7 ± 1.3 years, 45.9% female) and 17 matched controls (16.4 ± 2.1 years, 52.9% female) completed static single-leg stance and dynamic single-leg landing tasks under single- and dual-task (Stroop) conditions. Fear of movement was measured with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11). A subset of 12 concussed athletes and eight controls repeated testing at six months. Postural stability was quantified using ground reaction forces; higher values indicated worse performance. Group differences at RTP were examined using independent-samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Longitudinal changes from were examined using paired-samples t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Effect sizes and exact p-values were reported, with α set at .05. Results: At RTP, concussed athletes reported higher TSK-11 scores than controls (18.6 ± 4.2 vs. 15.6 ± 3.9, p = 0.013, d = 0.74). No significant group differences were observed for static or dynamic postural stability under single- or dual-task conditions (all p > 0.12). Within the concussion group, those with higher TSK-11 scores consistently showed poorer stability, although this difference was not statistically significant. At six months, concussed athletes demonstrated moderate improvements in TSK-11 (17.0 ± 3.9 to 13.4 ± 6.9) and dual-task dynamic stability, but changes did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Adolescents cleared for RTP after SRC exhibited elevated kinesiophobia, despite having balance performance comparable to controls. Screening for fear of movement may help identify athletes at risk for delayed recovery or reinjury, complementing standard postural stability assessments. Level of Evidence: 3.

Indexed as

adolescent athletesdynamic postural stabilityrtpSport-related concussion

Identifiers

PMID42404358
PMCPMC13327840

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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.