Study from York University Finds Age and Prior Sports Experience Are Stronger Predictors of Children’s Performance Than Previous Concussions

In a groundbreaking study emerging from York University’s Faculty of Health, researchers have unveiled nuanced insights into how age and sports experience profoundly influence visuomotor performance, surpassing the impact of multiple concussion histories and even biological sex. This extensive investigation, spanning over a decade and involving more than 200 participants across the Greater Toronto Area, challenges prevailing assumptions about concussion-related impairments in cognitive-motor integration, particularly in youth and adult athletes returning to sports after brain injury.

Concussions, classified as mild traumatic brain injuries, pose significant concerns for athletes, parents, and clinicians alike due to their complex neurological implications. Traditionally, the number of concussions sustained has been thought to be a primary determinant of lingering cognitive and motor deficits. Deficits commonly reported include slowed cognitive processing speed, diminished reaction times, decreased movement velocity, and reduced accuracy in motor tasks, all of which impair athletic performance and increase the risk of re-injury.

Contrary to conventional expectations, this study’s findings reveal that factors such as chronological age and accumulated sports experience play a more critical role in visuomotor capabilities than do the sheer volume of previous concussions. This suggests that the brain’s adaptive neuroplastic mechanisms, molded by extended practice and engagement in sports, may serve as a compensatory buffer, promoting resilience against concussion-related impairments.

The research team, spearheaded by Professor Lauren Sergio—York’s Research Chair in Brain Health and Gender in Action—and doctoral candidate Nicole Smeha, employed a robust methodological approach involving 223 individuals with a documented history of concussion. Participants, ranging in age from nine to 53, were assessed through a battery of tasks designed to measure eye-hand coordination under varying degrees of complexity. These tasks were structured to isolate visuomotor integration processes, providing objective metrics on motor control, reaction speed, and cognitive-motor integration efficiency.

Significantly, the cohort primarily consisted of youth engaged in contact and team sports such as hockey, soccer, football, and basketball—activities known for heightened concussion incidence. A smaller subset included adult “beer league” players, allowing for cross-age comparison of results. Although biological sex was analyzed as a potential factor, the data did not reveal any substantial difference in performance outcomes, focusing attention instead on developmental and experiential elements.

One of the pivotal revelations from Professor Sergio’s commentary is the existence of a subgroup within concussed children who exhibited no measurable deficits in motor skills only weeks post-injury. This observation underscores the hypothesis that pre-existing sports experience fosters more robust neural networks, capable of mitigating the commonly observed declines associated with concussion. The plasticity of neural circuits responsible for visuomotor tasks appears to be enhanced by extensive motor practice, effectively “training” the brain networks to maintain performance despite injury.

These insights hold critical implications for concussion management protocols, particularly in youth sports. Current guidelines often emphasize the severity and frequency of concussions as key criteria for return-to-play decisions. However, the York study advocates for a more holistic approach, integrating assessments of a child’s sports background and developmental stage. Younger athletes new to sport, even if they have sustained fewer concussions, may exhibit greater vulnerability due to underdeveloped cognitive-motor integrations and less resilient neural pathways.

Conversely, athletes with substantial sports experience may demonstrate an enhanced capacity to compensate for concussive injury effects, reflected in preserved visuomotor skills despite multiple concussions. This neurologically grounded differentiation reinforces the concept of individualized return-to-play assessments, encouraging clinicians and guardians to consider a broader spectrum of biological and experiential variables rather than relying solely on concussion count or sex-based assumptions.

The study’s technical rigor is further demonstrated by its use of complex eye-hand coordination tasks as a proxy for cognitive-motor integration. Such tasks require simultaneous engagement of sensory perception, neural processing, and motor output pathways—an intricate orchestration mediated by cortical and subcortical structures sensitive to diffuse axonal injury characteristic of concussions. The findings suggest that these neural networks can be strengthened or preserved through repetitive motor activity inherent in sports experience.

Moreover, the lack of significant sex differences in visuomotor outcomes challenges some prior research suggesting hormonal or structural brain differences might influence concussion susceptibility or recovery trajectories. Instead, this study positions age and experience as more salient determinants of cognitive-motor function post-concussion, providing a nuanced understanding that can refine both gender-neutral and individualized sports medicine practices.

From a public health perspective, this research prompts reevaluation of youth sports policies, encouraging enriched training environments that not only promote physical fitness but also enhance neuroprotective adaptations through skill development. Parents and coaches may find reassurance in understanding that while concussions remain serious injuries, the neural resilience developed via sustained sport engagement can mitigate long-term functional deficits.

However, the researchers also caution against complacency, emphasizing that concussions are still brain injuries with potentially serious outcomes, especially if further trauma occurs before full recovery. The interplay of multiple risk factors—including age, experience, injury history, and individual neurological variability—necessitates careful monitoring, tailored rehabilitation, and evidence-based guidelines for safe sports participation.

Reflecting on the broader neuroscience implications, this study enriches the growing body of literature highlighting brain plasticity and the role of environmental enrichment in injury recovery. It suggests strategic avenues for cognitive-motor training interventions that leverage sport-like experiences to build resilience in vulnerable populations.

In sum, the York University investigation not only advances scientific understanding of concussion effects but also delivers practical applications for sports medicine, pediatrics, and neurorehabilitation. It underscores the importance of moving beyond simplistic injury counts and demographic factors towards a dynamic, multifaceted perspective on brain health in athletic contexts.

The full research article, titled “Sport experience and age account for visuomotor performance more than multiple concussion history and sex,” was published in the journal Concussion on April 23, 2025. For further inquiries or media information, contact Emina Gamulin at York University’s Media Relations.

News Publication Date: April 29, 2024

Web References:
York University
Article in Concussion Journal