ADHD athletes take longer to recuperate from concussion

Highschool athletes with ADHD take longer to recuperate from a sport-related concussion, a brand new examine says.

These with a concussion took about 16% longer to return to the classroom and 17% longer to return to sports activities, in comparison with athletes with out ADHD, researchers reported April 29 within the Journal of Athletic Coaching.

That is regarding as a result of athletes with ADHD are thought of extra prone for a number of concussions, Steven Broglio, director of the College of Michigan Concussion Middle, mentioned in a information launch.

“It’s believed that these with ADHD are much less prone to pay full consideration to their surroundings and different gamers whereas collaborating in sport,” mentioned Broglio, who reviewed the findings. “In these cases, they might not appropriately brace for or keep away from a head impression that ends in a concussion.”

For the examine, College of Hawaii researchers tracked the outcomes of 935 athletes at 60 native excessive faculties who obtained a concussion between the 2010 and 2018 college years.

Of the group, 78 college students mentioned they’d ADHD. Researchers in contrast their restoration to that of the remainder.

General, ADHD athletes took a mean 13 days to return to class and 21 days to return to sports activities following a concussion, in contrast with 11 and 18 days for athletes with out ADHD, outcomes present.

“In gentle of the examine findings, well being care suppliers want to acknowledge ADHD as a threat issue for extended concussion restoration,” Broglio mentioned.

Outcomes additionally confirmed that feminine athletes took longer to recuperate than males—about 13% longer to return to class and seven% longer to return to sports activities.

Youthful athletes additionally are inclined to take longer to recuperate, researchers added.

“The expected return-to-sport days for a non-ADHD 18-year-old male athlete is 17.29 days, whereas that for a 15-year-old feminine athlete with ADHD is 23.10 days,” wrote the analysis staff led by Kyoko Shirahata, an teacher in kinesiology and rehabilitation science on the College of Hawaii at Manoa.

“From the medical perspective (ie, doctor and different well being care suppliers), this distinction could not appear vital; nevertheless, from a coach’s, guardian’s, or athlete’s perspective, it could really feel crucial, as this restoration distinction could end in lacking a further recreation, relying on the timing of harm incidence,” researchers wrote.

“Clinicians ought to pay attention to the attainable longer restoration for athletes with ADHD, notably youthful feminine athletes, to offer anticipatory steering and to deal with questions concerning the return-to-sport restoration timeline following concussion,” the staff concluded.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.