A - 11 Autonomic Anxiety vs Generalized Anxiety: Predictive Recovery Time in Sport-Related Concussions among Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

This study represents the second phase in testing a self-report anxiety questionnaire and self-report vestibular symptom questionnaire, including its subscales, as potential competing predictive factors of protracted concussion recovery times among collegiate athletes. The Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form (VSS-SF) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were administered to 31 collegiate athletes (18 females, 13 males, ages 18–23) at baseline and post-injury. Participant data was grouped by number of days until symptom resolution post-concussion (1–10 days [N = 18], 11+ days [N = 13]). VSS-SF, VSS-SF-Autonomic-Anxiety (VSS-SF-A), VSS-SF-Vestibular-Balance (VSS-SF-V), and GAD-7 scores were calculated via scoring guidelines. Results from an independent-samples t-test demonstrated that post-injury VSS-SF-A scores were significantly higher among athletes with 11+ recovery days (M = 3.08, SD = 3.71) compared to those with 1–10 recovery days (M = 1.06, SD = 2.65); t(29) = 1.78, p = 0.043, Cohen’s d = 0.65. Similar t-tests for post-injury VSS-SF-V (11+ [M = 5.23, SD = 6.41], 1–10 [M = 3.17, SD = 3.67]) and GAD-7 (11+ [M = 4.08, SD = 4.84], 1–10 [M = 2.50, SD = 2.23]) scores were not significant; t(29) = 1.14, p = 0.132, t(29) = 1.22, p = 0.116. A linear regression revealed that post-injury VSS-SF-A scores significantly predicted recovery time and explained 14.1% of the variance (b = 0.88, R2 = 0.14, p = 0.037). Post-injury VSS-SF-V and GAD-7 scores were not significant predictors. Results suggest that post-injury VSS-SF-A scores can aid in identifying athletes that may be at risk for longer recovery times. Additionally, post-concussive autonomic anxiety appears to have a greater influence on athletes’recovery time, as compared to generalized anxiety symptoms. Interventions directed towards reducing and/or coping with autonomic anxiety symptoms may be particularly important for supporting post-concussive recovery.