Book excerpt: Author's abstract: Context: This study considered the difference in psychological response to concussion compared with that of musculoskeletal injuries over time. The psychological response to musculoskeletal injuries has been well documented, however, research on the psychological response to concussion is lacking. The Profile of Mood States and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to assess the psychological recovery of concussions and could be easily added to a concussion test battery. The information provided by these inventories could also help to identify an atypical psychological response that may lead to lifelong psychological disorders, many of which have been linked to history of concussion. Objectives: Compare the psychological responses of student-athletes who have been diagnosed with a concussions to those of athletes diagnosed with musculoskeletal injuries with similar recovery duration Design: Prospective longitudinal study Setting: NCAA Division I University in Southeast Georgia Participants: Twenty Division I collegiate athletes sustaining a musculoskeletal injury were recruited, after exclusion 15 musculoskeletal participants were included in the study. The musculoskeletal participants were matched with 15 previously collected concussion participants. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were the scores of STAI (state anxiety only) and POMS constructs: tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia, depressiondejection, vigor-activity, confusion-bewilderment, and total mood disturbance. Results: Seven two-way ANOVAs were run to compare the scores on the psychological inventories used in the study. The ANOVA for the POMS subscales anger-hostility, fatigueinertia, depression-dejection, confusion-bewilderment, and total mood disturbance revealed significant main effects for time for both groups, but no differences were seen between groups. The ANOVA for the POMS subscales tension-anxiety and vigor-activity as well as the STAI revealed no main effects for time or group. The POMS scores improved over time in both the concussion and the musculoskeletal groups. The scores for the STAI improved at the exercise day 1 time point but increased again at return to play, resulting in a U shaped trend. No significant difference was found between groups or time points. Conclusion: The findings of this study contradict previous research which stated that musculoskeletal injuries had more severe psychological responses than concussions. The current study's results that both musculoskeletal and concussion groups' psychological response to injury improves over time and at a similar rate. The results could be the result of the study design. The similar psychological response that was found between the concussion and musculoskeletal participants could either be due to loss of playing time and pain or a neurometabolic reaction in the brain.