{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T10:13:27Z","timestamp":1773396807910,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773360000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: To determine the effects of a subconcussive head injury on adolescent student academic achievement assessed by grade point average (GPA). Methods: The study utilised an experimental (subconcussive head injury, n = 45) and a matched pair control group (n = 45). Data were collated at baseline (i.e., the term prior to sustaining a subconcussive head injury) and the term the subconcussive head injury occurred. Subconcussive head injuries were preliminarily assessed onsite by a registered nurse and diagnosed by a general practitioner using established protocol. The average subconcussive head injury occurred 26.93 \u00b1 15.22 days prior to the exam period, which is when all graded assessments\/examinations occurred. All participants (N = 90) were adolescent males (age: 14.04 \u00b1 1.48 years) in grades 7\u201312 (grade: 8.62 \u00b1 1.51). An independent t-test was used to test for potential between group differences at baseline. Separate dependent t-tests were used to test for the effects of a subconcussive head injury on GPA in the experimental group and the effects of time on GPA in the control group. Standardised Cohen\u2019s d with 95% confidence intervals were used to quantify the meaningfulness of the potential between or within group differences. Results: Non-meaningful, non-significant differences were revealed for all variables between the experimental and control group at baseline. A subconcussive head injury resulted in a meaningful and significant decrease in GPA (d = \u22120.417, 95% CI = \u22120.720 to \u22120.110, small, p = 0.008); while a non-meaningful, non-significant increase in GPA occurred in the matched pair control group (d = 0.037, 95% CI = \u22120.256 to 0.329, trivial, p = 0.808). Conclusions: Our findings provide initial evidence suggesting the need for return to learn protocols to consider subconcussive head injuries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children13030399","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T08:26:19Z","timestamp":1773390379000},"page":"399","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Subconcussive Head Injuries Negatively Affect Academic Achievement in Adolescent Males"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8515-592X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael A.","family":"Carron","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Health, Education, Lifestyle, and Performance Laboratory, St Brendan\u2019s College, Yeppoon, QLD 4703, Australia"},{"name":"School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lauren E.","family":"Caplick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health, Education, Lifestyle, and Performance Laboratory, St Brendan\u2019s College, Yeppoon, QLD 4703, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5944-7558","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vincent J.","family":"Dalbo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health, Education, Lifestyle, and Performance Laboratory, St Brendan\u2019s College, Yeppoon, QLD 4703, Australia"},{"name":"School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsm.30.4.289","article-title":"Head injuries in sport","volume":"30","author":"Cantu","year":"1996","journal-title":"Br. 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