Alan Pearce

Prof. Alan Pearce

La Trobe University, Discipline of Exercise Science, Melbourne, Australia
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

17Years (2010-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 March 2012 in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
APAlan Pearce
Alan Pearce
AHA. Hendy
A. Hendy
WBW. A. Bowen
W. A. Bowen
Dawson KidgellDawson Kidgell
Dawson Kidgell

1 September 2015 in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
APAlan Pearce
Alan Pearce
KHKate Hoy
Kate Hoy
MRMark A. Rogers
Mark A. Rogers
DCDaniel T. Corp
Daniel T. Corp
CDCharlotte B. Davies
Charlotte B. Davies
PFPaul B Fitzgerald
Paul B Fitzgerald

24 January 2018 in Brain Injury
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Journal Article
Closed access
APAlan Pearce
Alan Pearce
BRBillymo Rist
Billymo Rist
CFClare L. Fraser
Clare L. Fraser
ACAdrian Cohen
Adrian Cohen
JMJerome J. Maller
Jerome J. Maller
Background: Concussion is regarded as a common injury in rugby league, however no studies have explored the long-term neurophysiological and cognitive effects of repeated concussion injuries in this sport. Methods: Former professional rugby athletes (n = 25) were compared to 25 age-matched participants with no history of a concussion. All participants completed standardised motor dexterity, reaction time, and cognitive tasks for working memory, associative learning and rule acquisition and reversal. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) acquired motor evoked potentials and cortical silent period (cSP), as well as paired-pulse TMS for short latency intracortical inhibition and long intracortical inhibition (LICI). Results: Compared to controls, dexterity and visuomotor reaction time was slower in the rugby group compared to controls (p = 0.02, p < 0.01, respectively). The rugby group also demonstrated poorer cognitive performance than controls (p range 0.02 to < 0.01). TMS revealed significantly reduced cSP at suprathreshold stimulation intensities (p range 0.02 to <0.01), and increased LICI (p = 0.03) in the rugby group. Discussion: These findings of motor and cognitive changes, along with neurophysiological alterations, particularly with intracortical inhibition, nearly two decades post-concussion provides evidence for long-term sequelae for athletes with a history of repeated head trauma in contact sports.

27 March 2015 in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology
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Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
BMBrendan P. Major
Brendan P. Major
MRMark A Rogers
Mark A Rogers
APAlan Pearce
Alan Pearce

1 June 2019 in Neuroscience
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Journal Article
Closed access
APAlan Pearce
Alan Pearce
MTMark Tommerdahl
Mark Tommerdahl
DKDoug A. King
Doug A. King