Oculomotor dysfunction May not subside upon clinical resolution of sport related concussion

Abstract

Abstract Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a public health crisis that results in growing diagnoses each year. Recent evidence suggests that there are oculomotor deficits present in patients with SRC. It is unclear if this oculomotor deficit is linked to other clinical outcomes or lingers beyond clinical symptom resolution. The purpose of this study is to investigate the progression of oculomotor and clinical deficits following SRC at the acute stage of injury and again when they are clinically considered fully symptom-free for at least 24 h. 13 NCAA athletes completed a multifaceted concussion battery that included postural (tandem gait), symptom provocation (Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening), and oculomotor assessments (eye-tracking) once within 48 h of diagnosis of SRC (AC) and again once free of symptoms (SF). Significant group differences were observed in several oculomotor metrics. Both AC and SF groups exhibited elevated peak saccadic velocity and acceleration compared to controls ( p  < 0.01), with no significant difference between AC and SF. Saccadic amplitude was significantly reduced in both AC and SF groups relative to controls ( p  < 0.001). The number of masked saccades during SP was lower in the AC group than in controls ( p  = 0.05), but this difference was not observed in the SF group. No significant group differences were found for saccade duration or SP velocity. There are still oculomotor deficits that persist when SRC student-athlete patients’ injuries are deemed clinically resolved. Lingering issues are not uncommon; however, these functional eye movement deficits are concerning and warrant additional research.