Objective: To extend previous research designs and examine cognitive performance up to 30 days postconcussion. Method: A prospective cohort design was used to examine 2000 athletes from 8 mid-Michigan area high schools to compare baseline neurocognitive performance with postconcussion neurocognitive performance. All concussed athletes were readministered the Immediate Post Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) at 2, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days postconcussion. Results: A total of 72 high school athletes (aged 15.8 ± 1.34 years) sustained a concussion. A significant within-subjects effect for reaction time (F = 10.01; P= 0.000), verbal memory (F = 3.05; P = 0.012), motor processing speed (F= 18.51; P = 0.000), and total symptoms following an injury (F= 16.45; P= 0.000) was found. Concussed athletes demonstrated a significant decrease in reaction time up to 14 days postconcussion (P = 0.001) compared with baseline reaction time. Reaction time returned to baseline levels at 21 days postinjury (P = 0.25). At 7 days postinjury, impairments in verbal memory (P= 0.003) and motor processing speed (P= 0.000) were documented and returned to baseline levels by 14 days postinjury. Concussed athletes self-reported significantly more symptoms at 2 days postconcussion (P = 0.000) and exhibited a resolution of symptoms by 7 days postinjury (P = 0.06). Conclusion: High school athletes could take up to 21 days to return to baseline levels for reaction time. These data support current recommendations for the conservative management of concussion in the high school athlete.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Counselling Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / Health is viewed as a complete state of well-being and not only the prevention of disease. This research was embarked upon to highlight the importance of health promotion as a method of improving one's health as compared to disease prevention. This study aims to detect whether there is a substantial difference in psychological wellness between individuals who exercise and those individuals that a sedentary. Secondly, this study aspires to determine whether there is a difference in psychological wellness between individuals who engage in different forms of physical activity. This study motivated by the fact that no other previous international research has implemented the RyfFs scales of psychological well-being (1995) and Fox's physical self-perception profile (1990) concurrently. It is hoped that results from the proposed scheme of work will afford experts in the field of health with further insight as to the importance of physical activity as a prescription for health promotion.

The specific factors that influence student-athletes to enroll in Utah colleges were studied at Utah State University, Iieber State College, University of Utah, Westminster College, Brigham Young University, and College of Southern Utah. The intercollegiate sports surveyed were football, basketball, track and field, wrestling, and baseball. Factors influencing student-athletes to attend certain institutions varied :f'rom one athlete to another. Academic programs, level of competition, amount of financial aid, reputation of the athletic programs and institutions, as well as general facts of the programs were evaluated prior to selecting certain financial aid awards. Recruiting coaches were found to be very influential on the student-athletes and were responsible for dispensing the most helpful information to them. Most student-athletes were receiving some financial aid and were actively recruited by representatives of athletic departments.

Previous studies with college athletes determined that the shoulder girdle plays a vital role in a variety of athletic activities. The previous research showed that a decrease in shoulder range of motion (ROM) was associated with a higher risk injury. Decreased shoulder ROM was shown to be a primary reason that many athletes were unable to perform many overhead lifting variations within their strength and conditioning programs. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a group of athletes by means of a postural assessment using the overhead squat test. This study consisted of a pretest-post test control group design. The dependent variable that was observed was the goniometric measurement of the shoulder ROM in response to the independent variable, which was a specialized upper body stretching protocol. Current NCAA Division I male athletes from a university in the south, who competed in a variety of different intercollegiate sports, volunteered for this study (N = 27). For the purpose of the current study the athlete was asked to perform three trials of the overhead squat test. For each of the trials goniometric data were collected. After the data were collected the athletes were taught the joint-specific stretching protocol that was to be used as the intervention for this study. When the pretest and posttest data were observed, the intervention group had an average decrease of 14.7 degrees over the course of the study, while the control group only showed an average decrease of 1.6 degrees. A one-way ANOVA showed that the means of the two groups were not statistically different at the posttest but were significantly different at the pretest. To check the interaction between the grouping factor and the trial factor, a 2 x 2 ANOVA, at a p-value of 0.05, was used to determine the between measurement interactions. From the data that were collected it was determined that there was a statistically significant time factor as well as interaction effect when comparing the two conditions.

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Researchers have determined that college student-athletes are an underrepresented population when it comes to utilizing college counseling services. Traditional students have appeared for counseling services more so than student-athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between attitudes toward help seeking behavior and (a) expectations about counseling, (b) athlete status, and (c) gender of respondent among community college students. The study included 195 students at a central Florida community college, 74 student-athletes and 121 non-athlete students. The participants were asked to convey their counseling expectations by completing the Expectations About Counseling-Brief Form. Respondents were also asked to complete the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale to measure their attitudes toward help seeking behavior. Further qualitative data was accumulated during an interview with one student-athlete from each of the five intercollegiate athletic teams. For this study, two hypotheses were considered. First, it was hypothesized that a significant relationship existed between attitudes toward help seeking behavior and expectations about counseling and that expectations about counseling were expected to account for a significant amount of variance in attitudes toward help seeking behavior. Results of the data analyses revealed that respondents' attitudes toward help-seeking behavior correlated significantly with only two of the four counseling expectation factors. A positive correlation was discovered for the factor of Personal Commitment and a negative correlation for the factor of Counselor Expertise. Linear regression analysis supported that expectations about counseling were expected to account for a significant amount of variance in attitudes toward help-seeking behavior. The second hypothesis hypothesized that there would be no statistically significant difference in attitudes toward help-seeking behavior based on athletic participation (student-athlete versus non-athlete students) or gender of respondent. The results of a MANOVA indicated that gender of respondent did have a statistically significant effect on attitudes toward help-seeking behavior; therefore this hypothesis was only partially supported. Based on these findings, implications for counseling student-athletes and non-athlete students are discussed. Interpretations of data analyses are included and study limitations and delimitations are identified. Finally, suggestions for future research are identified and discussed.

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