Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Rest and Exertion Following Concussion (the Measuring ANSWERS Study): Protocol for a 2-Aim Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Observational Study

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation is increasingly linked to concussion. However, studies examining the relationship between concussion and ANS measures, such as heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and pupillary light reflex (PLR), are limited by small sample sizes, inconsistent control of confounders, and methodological heterogeneity, thereby limiting clinical translation....

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No actionable change for audiologists; this is a study protocol paper for a concussion-focused autonomic nervous system study with no direct audiology clinical implications at this stage.

Concussion can affect vestibular and auditory processing, so research into autonomic dysregulation post-concussion may have downstream relevance for audiologists who assess dizziness and balance disorders in this population.

1. 01Protocol describes a cross-sectional and longitudinal design to study autonomic responses post-concussion.
2. 02Heart rate variability is a key outcome measure for detecting autonomic nervous system dysregulation.
3. 03Both resting and exertion conditions are examined to capture the full spectrum of post-concussion autonomic dysfunction.
4. 04No results are reported; this is a methods/protocol publication only.
5. 05Relevance to audiology is indirect, via vestibular and balance sequelae of concussion.

PMID

42600155

DOI

10.2196/103400.

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Individuals who have sustained a concussion

Intervention

Measurement of autonomic nervous system responses (including heart rate variability) at rest and during exertion post-concussion

Comparator

Cross-sectional comparison; longitudinal within-subject follow-up