Mixed Martial Arts: Comparing the King-Devick and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 in knockouts, technical knockouts and choke holds.

Objective: To compare validity indices of the King-Devick (KD) test and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) for traumatic events in MMA, and to determine if perfusion events (alterations in consciousness as the result of choke holds) cause similar changes in KD/SCAT5 scores. Design: A prospective cohort study in MMA fighters who completed KD and SCAT5 assessments before and after a match. Outcomes were categorized as non-event, traumatic event, or perfusion event. KD/SCAT5 changes were compared between all athletes. Participants: One hundred forty MMA athletes (7 women, 133 men), mean age=27.1 ± 4.9 years. Intervention: N/A. Main outcome measures: King-Devick (KD) test and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5). Results: Among the 140 athletes, 19 sustained traumatic and 15 perfusion events. Testing provided sensitivities/specificities of 21.05%/93.39% (KD) and 77.78%/52.99% (SCAT5) in detecting a traumatic event. KD and SCAT5 Symptom Severity scores differed between athletes with and without traumatic events (P=.041 and .014). KD and SCAT5 Symptoms Score changes were observed between athletes with and without traumatic events (P=.023 and .042). Neither KD nor SCAT5 differed significantly between athletes with and without perfusion events. Conclusions: The KD test provides high specificity and the SCAT5 demonstrates reasonable sensitivity when detecting a traumatic event. Of the SCAT5, symptoms-related scores may most effectively identify a traumatic event. A traumatic event may cause KD/SCAT5 changes similar to a concussion, while perfusion events did not.

Cleomedes of Astypalaea: A possible early sufferer of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Dementia pugilistica was the term adopted by H. Martland in 1928 to identify boxers with cognitive decline. In more recent years, the syndrome of dementia pugilistica with pathological correlates has been defined as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A number of sportsmen have been recently diagnosed with CTE; and we may have identified an ancient Greek athlete of pankration who presented with the symptoms that have been associated with CTE. Our study reports the history and the known clinical information about Cleomedes of Astypalaea, possibly the first athlete ever affected by CTE.