Citation

Keightley ML, Côté P, Rumney P, Hung R, Carroll LJ, Cancelliere C, Cassidy JD. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 2014; 95(3S): S192-S200.

Affiliation

Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Health Care and Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apmr.2013.12.018

PMID

24581905

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the best available evidence regarding psychosocial consequences of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) in children. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus were searched (2001-2012). Inclusion criteria included published peer-reviewed reports in English, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and Danish. References were also identified from relevant reviews and meta-analyses, and the bibliographies of eligible articles. STUDY SELECTION: This article presents an update of a previous review with a much larger scope, of which this topic is a small subset of the questions addressed by that review. Controlled trials and cohort and case-control studies were selected according to predefined criteria. Two independent reviewers used modified Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria to critically appraise eligible studies. A total of 77,914 records were screened; 101 of these articles were deemed scientifically admissible, of which 6 investigated the psychosocial consequences of MTBI in children. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently extracted data from accepted studies into evidence tables. DATA SYNTHESIS: We conducted a best-evidence synthesis by linking our conclusions to the evidence tables. Most accepted studies were exploratory rather than confirmatory. Preliminary evidence suggests that most children recover within 3 months post-MTBI. After 1 year, the prevalence of postconcussion symptoms and syndrome is similar between children with MTBI and children with orthopedic injuries. The functional status of children with MTBI improves over a 30-month follow-up period, but further research is needed to investigate the possibility that children with MTBI experience greater rates of psychiatric illness during the 3 years after their injury. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of MTBI is favorable in children. Most appear to recover functionally from a physical and psychological perspective. However, future research should investigate the risk for psychiatric illness.

Language: en