Symptoms and disability until 3 months after mild TBI

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Traumatology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is a common neurological condition.
• Understanding the post-injury symptom trajectory and its impact on daily functioning is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency, characteristics, and progression of symptoms up to 3 months after MTBI.
• To determine the relationship between symptom experience and functional disability post-MTBI.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 122 patients diagnosed with MTBI.
• Symptom assessment utilized the Rivermead Post-concussional Questionnaire at 1, 7, 14 days, and 3 months.
• Disability was evaluated using the Rivermead Head Injury Follow-up Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Symptom reporting decreased from 86% at day 1 to 49% at 3 months post-injury.
• At 3 months, 25% of patients reported changes in daily activities.
• Commonly reported symptoms included memory difficulties, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.
• Significant correlations were found between symptom and disability scores (tau = 0.60) and between early and late symptom loads (tau = 0.38).

Conclusions:

• Symptoms following MTBI generally show a gradual decline over 3 months.
• Persistent symptoms at 3 months correlate significantly with functional disability.
• Patients presenting with a high symptom load early after injury are at increased risk for developing long-term complaints.