Long-term attenuated electrophysiological response to errors following multiple sports concussions

Abstract

This study extracted the error-related negativity (ERN) waveform component recorded from a visual–spatial attention and a visual short-term memory task to assess rigorously the long-term and cumulative effects of concussions on evaluative processes of cognitive control related to performance monitoring. This study demonstrates that, relative to control athletes, multiply concussed athletes show significant ERN amplitude reduction elicited by error generation. These cumulative effects of concussions on ERN amplitude were found in two distinct experimental paradigms designed to solicit concussion-sensitive cognitive abilities such as attention and short-term memory. This suggests that the mechanisms that contribute to the evaluation of cognitive performance may be significantly affected following multiple concussions even in low-conflict situations.

Keywords:

• Sports concussion
• Event-related potentials
• Error-related negativity
• Cognitive control

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) for funding this work through grants awarded to P.J. and L.D.B. We also want to recognize the important technical assistance of Pia Amping to this work. Authors' statement: This manuscript has not been published elsewhere, and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. Statement of authorship: All authors listed have contributed to the original work. Disclosure: The authors have reported no conflicts of interest. Ethical adherence: This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the University of Montreal.

Notes

¹At the time of testing in the original N2pc study, only a small number of subjects with 3+ concussions were found and tested. There were consequently too few subjects with 3+ concussions to reorganize study group composition so as to include a distinct 3+ concussions group.