Strategy in Neuroscience and Mental Health

Postconcussive Symptoms After Early Childhood Concussion Dominique Dupont, BSc^1,2; Ken Tang, PhD³; Cindy Beaudoin, DPsy^1,2; Fanny Dégeilh, PhD⁴; Isabelle Gagnon, PhD^5,6; Keith Owen Yeates, PhD^7,8; Sean C. Rose, MD^9,10; Jocelyn Gravel, MD, MSC²; Brett Burstein, MD, CM, PhD, MPH^11,12; Antonia S. Stang, MD, MBA, MSc¹³; Rachel M. Stanley, MD, MHSA^10,14; Roger L. Zemek, MD¹⁵; Miriam H. Beauchamp, PhD^1,2; for the PERC KOALA Study  

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Key Points

Question  What amount and type of postconcussive symptoms occur after early childhood concussion and how do they evolve?

Findings  In this cohort study of 303 children aged 6 to 72 months recruited from urban pediatric emergency departments and daycares, those with concussion exhibited more postconcussive symptoms than uninjured children and children with orthopedic injury acutely and at 10 days, 1 month, and 3 months after injury. Symptoms, documented using a developmentally-appropriate measure, were most common in the physical and behavioral domains.

Meaning  These findings suggest that early childhood concussion can result in significantly elevated postconcussive symptoms, which may remain present 3 months after injury and are not solely attributable to general injury effects or typical development.

This content has been updated on 26 March 2024 at 16 h 43 min.