Predicting the Effectiveness of Physical Therapy in Hockey Players after Cerebral Concussion

The aim is to develop a prognostic model of rehabilitation for the restoration of motor and cognitive functions in hockey players after a cerebral concussion. The research covered 80 hockey players aged from 17 to 51. Research methods: generalization of scientific and methodological literature, clinical, instrumental, functional methods, and methods of mathematical statistics. The greater effectiveness of the developed physical therapy program in comparison with the standard one has been proved according to the following indicators: limitation of life-sustaining activities by 26.0 ± 2.1%, tone of the autonomic nervous system according to the Kerdo index by 9.9 ± 0.8%, heart rate variability according to statistical indicators of standard deviation of cardiac intervals and variation range by 4.6 ± 0.3% and 28.2 ± 3.5%, respectively, according to the index of autonomic balance by 33.7 ± 4.9%, decrease in the stress index of regulatory systems by 22.5 ± 4.6%, decrease in the time of the test performance with tandem walking and cognitive task by 20.1 ± 1.6%, increase in the score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale by 12.4 ± 2.0%. According to prognostic model, the most significant factors aggravating the prognosis are the level of headache according to the visual analogue pain scale (regression coefficient B = -0.12), the number of repeated cerebral concussions (B = -1.02); prognostically favorable factors are the general level of cognitive functions (B = 0.03), a lower level of sympathicotonia according to the autonomic balance index (B = 0.03) and the Kerdo index (B = -0.08). The developed model provides results within 20.0% of the existing actual values, which indicates satisfactory and effective work (determination coefficient of 54.0 %, p < 0.05).