Prepulse Inhibition in Youth Contact Sports Players

NCT04058184 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: IRB00051757
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 44
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study's main research question will be investigating whether or not there is a significant difference in Prepulse Inhibition (PPI) as well as startle response probability and magnitude between contact and noncontact youth sports players. The study team will test these questions using a controlled laboratory scenario in which the presentation of startle stimuli can be observed, measured, and quantified in order to compare the results between the two sample populations. During preliminary testing, the study team can predict that there will be no significant differences between contact sports players and noncontact sports players in their startle reactivity and level of exhibited PPI. Based on previous literature, the study team hypothesizes that those in the contact sports group will experience greater startle reactivity and less PPI than those in the noncontact sports group when they are tested at the end of their sports season. Using this information, the present study will allow for additional understanding of the neurological and physiological behaviors associated with subconcussive head impacts. This study will assess and determine whether prepulse inhibition in youth contact sports players and non-contact sports players, both before and after a sports season, will significantly differ. Measures will include the startle magnitude, startle probability, reaction time, and accuracy of tone detection responses.

Conditions

Reflex, Abnormal

Keywords

Prepulse Inhibition; Startle Response

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Startle Magnitute

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  baseline

• Startle Magnitute

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  startle test up to 1 hr from baseline

• Startle Probability

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  baseline

• Startle Probability

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  startle test up to 1 hr from baseline

• Percentage of Prepulse Inhibition

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  baseline test

• Percentage of Prepulse Inhibition

  collected from each participant's raw EMG data

  startle test up to 1 hr from baseline

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Reaction Time

  baseline test

• Reaction Time

  startle test up to 1 hr from baseline

• Accuracy Measures

  baseline test

• Accuracy Measures

  startle test up to 1 hr from baseline

Study Arms (2)

Contact sports players

Athletes who engage in contact sports, football for example. Participation in this study will involve listening to sudden, very brief bursts of noise (startle blocks) and tones, and responding with a keypress to certain tones. Electromyogram (EMG) will measure the electrical activity generated from movement of the orbicularis oculi muscle during the startle blocks.

Non-contact sports players

Athletes who engage in non-contact sports, swimming for example.Participation in this study will involve listening to sudden, very brief bursts of noise (startle blocks) and tones, and responding with a keypress to certain tones. Electromyogram (EMG) will measure the electrical activity generated from movement of the orbicularis oculi muscle during the startle blocks.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 19 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants who participate on a sports team who range in age from 13 to 19.

You may qualify if:

• Participants are specifically recruited for this study due to their involvement on a sports team that may or may not expose them to head impacts.

You may not qualify if:

• Subjects on psychostimulant, antidepressant, or anxiolytic medications, as well as subjects who have experienced hearing loss, will not be eligible to participate.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Wake Forest University Health Sciences: lead
• Wake Forest University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109, United States

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Blumenthal TD. Presidential Address 2014: The more-or-less interrupting effects of the startle response. Psychophysiology. 2015 Nov;52(11):1417-31. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12506. Epub 2015 Aug 18.

  PMID: 26283146 BACKGROUND

• Blumenthal TD, Reynolds JZ, Spence TE. Support for the interruption and protection hypotheses of prepulse inhibition of startle: evidence from a modified Attention Network Test. Psychophysiology. 2015 Mar;52(3):397-406. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12334. Epub 2014 Sep 19.

  PMID: 25234706 BACKGROUND

• Washington JR, Blumenthal TD. Effects of a startle stimulus on response speed and inhibition in a go/no-go task. Psychophysiology. 2015 Jun;52(6):745-53. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12400. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

  PMID: 25532594 BACKGROUND

• Jepma M, Wagenmakers EJ, Band GP, Nieuwenhuis S. The effects of accessory stimuli on information processing: evidence from electrophysiology and a diffusion model analysis. J Cogn Neurosci. 2009 May;21(5):847-64. doi: 10.1162/jocn.2009.21063.

  PMID: 18702584 BACKGROUND

• Thorne GL, Dawson ME, Schell AM. Attention and prepulse inhibition: the effects of task-relevant, irrelevant, and no-task conditions. Int J Psychophysiol. 2005 May;56(2):121-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2004.11.006. Epub 2005 Jan 21.

  PMID: 15804447 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Reflex, Abnormal

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Blumenthal

  Wake Forest University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2019
• First Posted: August 15, 2019
• Study Start: July 9, 2018
• Primary Completion: May 17, 2019
• Study Completion: May 17, 2019
• Last Updated: August 15, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)