• Isabelle Gagnon, Bonnie Swaine, and Robert Forget.
• Health Administration and Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire en santé, School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Isabelle.gagnon6@sympatico.ca
• J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2009 Sep 1;24(5):355-62.

PurposeTo examine the extent to which children and adolescents with a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) comply with the activity restrictions received upon discharge from a pediatric trauma center.ParticipantsThirty-four children with MTBI (aged 8-16 years) and 34 control children matched for age, sex, and premorbid level of physical activity.Main MeasureActivity diary documenting the exact level of activity during 3 consecutive days during the 1st, 4th, and 12th week post-MTBI (corresponding time intervals for controls) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire.ResultsFifteen pairs of children (MTBI + control) completed the diaries for all 3 assessment times (77% participation rate among consecutive admissions and 44% compliance rate with diary completion). Although some children engaged in activities before the end of the 4-week restriction period, the majority of the children followed the recommendations they received. Children with MTBI maintained a lower level of energy expenditure at the 1- and 4-week evaluations than did the noninjured children, but not at the 12-week evaluation.ConclusionChildren with MTBI usually comply with the activity restrictions they receive upon discharge from the hospital.

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