Effects of headache on clinical measures of neuropsychological function and postural stability

Our purpose was to compare the recovery patterns of athletes reporting headache at baseline (PAH) and athletes reporting posttraumatic headache (PTH) following concussion. The study involved two separate analyses of concussed high school and collegiate athletes classified based on baseline headache scores and another by headache scores at twenty-four hours postinjury. All subjects completed a graded symptom checklist. A subset of subjects completed the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) and the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) at baseline and days one, three, and seven post-injury. A smaller subset completed ANAM at a sub-acute session (1-2 days post-injury) and a prolonged session (5-7 days postinjury). Significant differences in symptomatology and mental status (p<.05) were observed for PAH and PTH. Differences were also observed in balance and neuropsychological performance scores regarding PTH. (p<.05) Results suggest that headache scores (PAH and PTH) should be considered in the interpretation of clinical measures of concussion