Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Abstract

Many college athletes who have a sport-related concussion experience changes in cognitive-communication abilities. Unfortunately, nearly half of all sport-related concussions go unreported. Information on why collegiate athletes report or conceal their symptoms is important for improving reporting rates and increasing athletes’ access to services for cognitive-communication impairments. This study examined whether changes in cognitive-communication abilities affected college athlete’s intentions to report a sport-related concussion. Findings showed that approximately two-thirds of the college student-athletes who participated in the research were unlikely to report that they had a sport-related head injury. The study found that participants’ concerns for cognitive-communication deficits differentiated student-athletes who were more likely to report an injury from those who were less likely. This study has important clinical implications for increasing awareness and knowledge about the sequelae of sport-related concussion and the valuable role that rehabilitation specialists, such as speech-language pathologists (SLPs), can play in concussion management and prevention.

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