Pediatric neurology
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Pediatric neurology · Dec 2015
Observational StudyThe Incidence of Postconcussion Syndrome Remains Stable Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.
Improving our knowledge about the natural history and persistence of symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury is a vital step in improving the provision of health care to children with postconcussion syndrome. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the incidence and persistence of symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury and (2) ascertain whether Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), symptom criteria for postconcussion syndrome in adults are appropriate for use in children. ⋯ Consistent with our previous study, 11.8% of children presenting to the emergency room with a mild traumatic brain injury remain symptomatic at 3 months postinjury. This is the first study to demonstrate stable incidence rates of postconcussion syndrome in children and that modified DSM-IV criteria can be used to successfully classify postconcussion syndrome in children. Although most children report a decay in symptoms over time, 10% of children develop symptoms even though they initially had a good outcome. Caution should be used when using only parent report as a surrogate for childhood outcomes following a concussion.