The Impact of Eye and Body Training on the Injury Rate of Concussions in Female Soccer Players
Effects of Vestibulo-oculomotor and Neuromuscular Training on the Incidence of Concussions and Musculoskeletal Injuries in Competitive Female Football Players
1 other identifier
interventional
209
0 countries
N/A
Brief Summary
The research project aims to find out how special training influences the frequency and severity of injuries among female footballers in the top Swiss league. The project also aims to help establish normative values that are specifically tailored to women. The participating clubs will be randomly assigned to a comprehensive pre-season baseline examination with training recommendations based on the performed examinations (intervention group) or control group (normal training). Over the course of the 2024/2025 season, both groups will be compared in terms of the incidence and severity of concussions and musculoskeletal injuries. Initial results will be available in spring 2025 to coincide with the start of the European Women's Football Championship. The investigators' hypothesis is that the training recommendations in the intervention group will lead to a lower incidence of concussions and that the players will show better injury prevention as a result of these exercises.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
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participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Jun 2024
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 3, 2024
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 25, 2024
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
June 30, 2024
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
October 30, 2024
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
September 30, 2025
CompletedJune 25, 2024
June 1, 2024
4 months
June 3, 2024
June 19, 2024
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Incidence of injury frequency
Injury frequency will be gauged via REDCap questionnaires, capturing date, type, and injured region. Training adherence will be noted: the intervention group reports specific vestibulo-oculomotor and/or neuromuscular exercise minutes, while the control group reports normal training minutes. Concussed players complete the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS). The PCSS is designed to quantify the range and severity of symptoms that can occur after a concussion. It helps healthcare professionals monitor changes in symptoms over time and make informed decisions about an individual's recovery and readiness to return to activities.Each symptom is rated on a scale, typically from 0 to 6, where 0 means the symptom is not present and 5-6 indicates severe severity. Questionnaires occur at baseline, 8-week follow-up, and biweekly until season end for all players.
1 year
Secondary Outcomes (16)
Clinical cervical spine/jaw exam:
1 year
Video-Head Impulse Test (vHIT)
1 year
Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA)
1 year
Vestibulo/Oculomotor Screening (VOMS)
1 year
Modified Balance Error Scoring System-Test (BESS)
1 year
- +11 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
Training recommendation
EXPERIMENTALThe intervention group will receive training recommendations to prevent concussions and other injuries and improve their performance.
Normal training
NO INTERVENTIONThe control group will continue with their regular training without any recommendations for the prevention of head injuries.
Interventions
The players in the intervention group are also given specific training recommendations for the prevention of head injuries, which are compiled by experts (sports scientists, physiotherapists and neuroscientists). The exercise selection covers several areas that can be affected after a head injury. Each section contains 8 different exercises with increasing levels of difficulty (3x Basic-3x Intermediate-2x Advanced). The recommendations should be used as a warm-up program throughout the season before each training session. The coach or athletic coach will lead the warm-up program and ensure that each player follows the sequence and completes each phase according to the scheduled weeks. The warm-up program should be conducted as an 8-week cycle.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Registered player for a club in the top Swiss soccer league
- No symptoms of acute head injury at the start of the study
- Sufficient language skills to understand the study information and the informed consent form and to answer questionnaires and anamnestic questions correctly.
You may not qualify if:
- Symptomatic chronic diseases (e.g. tumor diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases) with the exception of osteoarthritis and controlled (normotensively controlled) arterial hypertension
- Pregnancy
- Diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder/disease
- Drug abuse
- For the neuropsychological test: Known learning disability/disorder
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
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PMID: 29055883RESULT
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- STUDY DIRECTOR
Nina Feddermann-Demont, PD Dr.med
Medical Director
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- INVESTIGATOR
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 3, 2024
First Posted
June 25, 2024
Study Start
June 30, 2024
Primary Completion
October 30, 2024
Study Completion
September 30, 2025
Last Updated
June 25, 2024
Record last verified: 2024-06