Study selection Original research; incidence, risk factors or causation related to long-term mental health or neurological problems; individuals who have suffered a concussion; retired athletes as the subjects and possible long-term sequelae defined as >10 years after the injury. © Copyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Risk factors for concussion in active-duty military service members are poorly understood. 39 (20%) were related in some way to concussion. Working in a full-time capacity as a Neuropsychologist for the Hunter New England Local Health District in the Neuropsychiatry Service, Andrew’s research is an adjunct to his real priority - helping healthcare consumers manage mild brain related issues. Food consumption was significantly reduced by both drugs. This study compared the effects of the putative cannabinoid receptor 'silent antagonist' O-2050 with the cannabinoid receptor inverse agonist SR 141716 on food and water... [more]. Review method: The current review examined all articles published in English from 1900 up to June 2013 pertaining to concussion in rugby league players. What are the consequences of concussion in all the areas we are looking?”. The meta-analysis included a total of 37 studies. Post-concussion, the majority of symptoms subside within 7¿10 day... [more]. Conclusions: Slower dual-task TUG and tandem gait times were detected across both time points for the concussion group relative to the control group. “The codes are doing a lot of good work, but as ninety plus percent of participants are at a grassroots level, education around concussion is still vital to ensure player safety is paramount,” Andrew says. The availability and adequacy of prognostic model... [more]. Suboptimal methodology limits their reproducibility and clinical usefulness. Taking into account age, genetics, vascular health, and mental health, as well as environmental factors such as drug and alcohol use, the study aims to pinpoint elements combining to affect long-term cognitive function relative to the number of self-reported concussions. “We also know that people who have anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, or learning disorders, tend to be more susceptible to sustaining a concussion,” Andrew says. While other injuries incurred by rugb... [more]. In 2016 Dr Gardner also received an, Emerging Health Researcher Commendation Award' from the, recognises the valuable contribution of emerging health researchers to health outcomes for all Australians. Design Prospective cohort study. U SYNOPSIS: Sport-related concussion is common in full-contact and collision sports. In men¿s rugby-7s match-play, concussion incidence was 3.01 per 1,000 player match hours. It has not been established that the described tau pathology, especially in small amounts, can cause complex changes in behavior such as depression, substance abuse, suicidality, personality changes, or cognitive impairment. He also received the 2017 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Early Career Research and Innovation Excellence for the Faculty of Health. “Long term outcomes for contact sport athletes are not uniform and universal, so we must look at the level of exposure and whether there is a threshold, or a trend or an association towards threshold and later life consequences.”. An Error 522 means that the request was able to connect to your web server, but that the request didn't finish. Andy has 3 jobs listed on their profile. In 2018 Dr Gardner received a Fulbright Postdoctoral Award and will travel to Harvard Medical School to work closely with the Football Players Health Study at Harvard. In October 2016 Andrew was been awarded a 2016 NHMRC Early Career Fellowship to systematically evaluate the association between a single, and repetitive mild TBI and neurodegenerative disease in retired collision sports athletes by using advanced research methods to rigorously study the issue. SYNOPSIS: Repeated purposeful heading in soccer has come under increased scrutiny as concerns surrounding the association with long-term neurodegenerative disorders in retired players continue to grow. Data extracted where present included study population, exposure/outcome measures, clinical data, neurological examination findings, cognitive assessment, investigation results and neuropathology results. Non-deprived male Wistar rats were habituated to the apparatus and testing procedures, then injected intraperitoneally with vehicle, O-2050 (0.03-3.0 mg/kg), or SR 141716 (3.0 mg/kg) prior to 4-h test sessions. “We believe different vulnerabilities and responses can be related to genetics, or related to existing pre-morbid disease or illness or personality characteristic,” Andrew says. Participants completed scales assessing anger, hostility, aggression, anxiety, and depression. If one accepts the delayed-onset criterion as being present, meaning that the men in the sample were presenting with depression years after re-tirement from sports or the military, then 83.2% of this sample would meet the research criteria for diagnosis. This Viewpoint discusses the current evidence to support low-risk head impact reduction strategies during purposeful heading to protect young, developing players, and how such strategies could be implemented now while research and debate continue on this topic.