“There is a well-established association between preexisting depression/anxiety and greater postconcussion symptom burden, but the potential impact of antidepressant medications has not been fully explored.”

“The primary objective of this study was to compare preinjury/baseline and postinjury concussion symptom scores and neurocognitive performance of athletes on antidepressant medications, both with healthy controls and with those with depression/anxiety not on antidepressants.”

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This is a cross-sectional study using data collected from 49,270 junior and high school athletes….”

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“Both at baseline and postinjury, athletes with depression/anxiety had mean total symptom scores that were more than double that of healthy controls regardless of antidepressant use.”

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Although there were no significant differences in neurocognitive performance at baseline, depression/anxiety was associated with small but significant decreases in postinjury visual memory and visual motor scores.”

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“Both at baseline and after sustaining a concussion, young athletes with depression/anxiety experience significantly greater symptom burden….regardless of antidepressant use.”

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M.M.Daley, et al

Concussion Symptoms and Neurocognitive Performance of Children and Adolescents on Antidepressants

Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise — Volume 56 #6 — June 2024 — page 1018