Evaluation of Traumatic Brain Injury Risk in Athletes: A Neuropsychological Investigation in Active Boxers

Year 2023, , 30 - 42, 31.12.2023

Muhammed Sıddık Çemç , Hasan Hüseyin Yılmaz , Murat Kaldırımcı

https://doi.org/10.51538/intjourexerpsyc.1325989

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the risk of traumatic brain injury by comparing data obtained from elite active boxers and healthy individuals through the application of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and the Trail Making Test, which are sensitive to brain damage, as well as the Verbal and Nonverbal Cancellation Test, which is sensitive to the right parietal lobe. The study is conducted with eight male boxers with an average age of 19.3±2.60 years, who had an average of 7.25±3.41 years of active boxing experience, and ten healthy males with an average age of 19.7±1.05 years, who had no involvement in any combat sport. The Kruskal-Wallis Test was employed to investigate the difference between the groups based on the data obtained from the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and the Trail Making Test, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the difference between the groups in the data from the Verbal and Nonverbal Cancellation Test. Upon evaluating the results of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the control group scored significantly higher on the SDMT-1, SDMT-2, and SDMT-3 than the boxers. The results of the Trail Making Test showed that the control group completed the TMT1-A, TMT1-B, TMT2-A, and TMT2-B forms faster than the boxers, but the differences in these times were not statistically significant. In the context of neuropsychological tests, active boxers exhibited lower neurocognitive performance compared to healthy individuals

Keywords

boxing, traumatic brain injury, neuropsychology

Sporcularda Travmatik Beyin Hasarı Riskinin Değerlendirilmesi: Aktif Boksörlerde Nöropsikolojik Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı beyin hasarına duyarlı Symbol Digit Modalities Test ve Trail Making Test ile sağ parietal lob üzerinde duyarlı Verbal and Nonverbal Cancellation Test dahilinde elit aktif boksörlerden elde edilecek olan verilerin sağlıklı bireyler ile karşılaştırılması sonucu travmatik beyin hasarı açısından değerlendirmeye çalışmaktır. Çalışmaya yaş ortalaması 19,3±2,60 yıl olan, ortalama 7,25±3,41 yıl aktif boks yaşam süresine sahip 8 erkek boksör ile yaş ortalaması 19,7±1,05 yıl olan ve herhangi bir mücadele sporu ile ilgilenmemiş 10 sağlıklı erkek dahil edilmiştir. Symbol Digit Modalities Test ve Trail Making Test kapsamında elde edilen verilerde, gruplar arasında oluşan farkı incelemek için Kruskal-Wallis Testi, Verbal and Nonverbal Cancellation Test verilerinde ise gruplar arasındaki farkı değerlendirmek amacıyla Mann-Whitney U testi uygulanmıştır. Symbol Digit Modalities Test sonuçları değerlendirildiğinde kontrollerin; SDMT-1, SDMT-2 ve SDMT-3 başarı puanlarının boksörlerden anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Trail Making Test sonuçları değerlendirildiğinde kontrollerin; TMT1-A, TMT1-B, TMT2-A ve TMT2-B formlarını boksörlerden daha kısa sürede tamamladığı, fakat oluşan bu süre farklarının istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Verbal and Nonverbal Cancellation Test sonuçları değerlendirildiğinde ise kontrol grubunun; genel itibariyle boksörlerden daha fazla başarı gösterdiği, fakat oluşan bu başarı düzeylerinin istatistiksel olarak anlamlı seviyede olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Nöropsikolojik testler kapsamında aktif boksörler, sağlıklı bireylere göre daha düşük nörobilişsel performans sergilemiştir. Bu durum nörobilişsel işleyiş açısından bir eksiklik olarak değerlendirilebilir.

Keywords

boks, travmatik beyin hasarı, nöropsikoloji

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