Paediatric sports-related mild traumatic brain injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common but relatively understudied childhood injury that can impact cognitive functioning and development. The present report describes a case study of a 14-year-old boy who sustained two consecutive sports-related mTBIs within a 24 h period. Neurocognitive functioning at 2, 6, 8, 55 and 225 days after injury is compared to baseline prior to injury assessment on the same measures. Results from Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), Conner Continuous Performance Test 2 (CPT-II) and the Attention Network Test (ANT) revealed decreased performance in attention, visual memory functioning and impulsivity, with some measures still not returning to baseline at 225 days post injury. The results are discussed with respect to return to normal activities at 4 days post injury. This case study highlights the need for increased research regarding the clinical management of mTBI in the paediatric population, particularly the potential deleterious effects of cumulative injuries.