• Mille Moeller Thastum, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Erhard Trillingsgaard Naess-Schmidt, Jens Soendergaard Jensen, Oana-Veronica Frederiksen, Astrid Tuborgh, Susanne Wulff Svendsen, Joergen Feldbaek Nielsen, and Andreas Schröder.
• The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
• NeuroRehabilitation. 2018 Jan 1; 43 (2): 155-167.

BackgroundAbout 5-15 % of patients with concussion experience persistent post-concussion symptoms (PCS) longer than 3 months post-injury.ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of a new intervention for young patients with persistent PCS and long-term changes after intervention.MethodsThirty-two consecutive patients (15-30 years) with persistent PCS 2-4 months post-injury were recruited from a cohort study or referred to a non-randomized feasibility study of an individually tailored, 8-week, multidisciplinary intervention. Assessment was performed at baseline, end of intervention (EOI), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (FU). Main measures were The Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ), Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) and The Quality of Life after Brain Injury - Overall Scale (QOLIBRI-OS).ResultsTwenty-three (72%) patients completed the intervention. The ESQ demonstrated high patient satisfaction. There was a decrease of PCS and an increase in quality of life from baseline to EOI: RPQ score -8.9 points, 95% CI 4.5 to 13.3, p < 0.001; QOLIBRI-OS score +10.5 points, 95% CI 2.5 to 18.5, p = 0.010. Improvement was maintained at 3- and 12-month FU.ConclusionThe new early intervention is feasible and may prevent chronification of PCS. An RCT is currently performed to evaluate the effect of the intervention.

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