%0 Journal Article
%T Maintaining Cognitive Performance at the Expense of Gait Speed for Asymptomatic Concussed Athletes: A Novel Dual-Task and Post-Exercise Assessment.
%A Lavoie G
%A Bolduc M
%A Sicard V
%A Lepore F
%A Ellemberg D
%J Brain Sci
%V 14
%N 7
%D 2024 Jul 17
%M 39061455
%F 3.333
%R 10.3390/brainsci14070715
%X Our goal was to evaluate persisting deficits in gait and executive functioning in asymptomatic athletes with a history of concussion using a novel approach combining a dual-task paradigm and post-exercise exertion. Thirty-eight athletes aged 17 to 25 years old participated in the study, including 18 with a history of concussion. The dual-task paradigm required walking continuously at a predetermined self-paced target speed of 6.5 km/h while executing a complex switch task. Athletes completed two conditions, each on separate days: (1) dual task alone and (2) dual task following 20 min of running on a non-motorized treadmill. The statistical analyses revealed a significant reduction in gait speed exclusively for athletes with a history of concussion and only following the post-exercise condition (p = 0.008). These findings suggest that although asymptomatic concussed athletes maintain a cognitive performance comparable to non-concussed athletes, this appears to be achieved at the expense of gait speed. Our results underscore the importance of incorporating gait assessments and post-exercise exertion into concussion evaluation protocols in both research and clinical settings.