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Updated: May 29, 2026
A Mouse Model of Single and Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: June 20, 2017
Do postconcussive symptoms discriminate injury severity in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury?
Lisa M Moran1, H Gerry Taylor, Jerome Rusin
1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Postconcussive symptoms (PCS) in children with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) show some differences compared to orthopedic injuries. However, PCS alone are not accurate enough to diagnose TBI severity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Neuroscience
- Traumatology
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in children.
- Accurate assessment of TBI severity is crucial for appropriate management.
- Postconcussive symptoms (PCS) are frequently reported after head injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if postconcussive symptoms (PCS) can differentiate injury severity in children with mild TBI.
- To compare PCS between children with mild TBI and those with orthopedic injuries (OI).
Main Methods:
- 186 children with mild TBI (stratified by loss of consciousness) and 99 children with OI (ages 8-15) were studied.
- Parent-rated PCS frequency and severity were assessed within 2 weeks, and at 3 and 12 months post-injury.
- Statistical analysis evaluated the discriminatory power of PCS for TBI and injury severity.
Main Results:
- Initial and 3-month PCS ratings distinguished mild TBI from OI.
- Only initial PCS ratings differentiated all three groups (high TBI, low TBI, OI).
- Somatic PCS were the primary contributors to group discrimination.
Conclusions:
- PCS show modest accuracy in classifying injury groups.
- A significant proportion of mild TBI cases were misclassified.
- Current PCS assessment is insufficient for diagnosing mild TBI or its severity in children.
Objectives:
To assess whether postconcussive symptoms (PCS) can be used to discriminate injury severity among children with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Participants:
One hundred eighty-six children with mild TBI, divided into high and low injury severity depending on whether the injury was associated with a loss of consciousness (LOC), and a comparison group of 99 children with orthopedic injuries (OI), all aged 8 to 15 years at the time of injury.
Main Measures:
Parent-rated frequency and severity of PCS at initial assessment within 2 weeks postinjury and again at 3 and 12 months postinjury.
Results:
Ratings of PCS obtained at the initial and 3-month assessments differentiated children with mild TBI from OI, although only ratings at the initial assessment discriminated among all 3 groups. Somatic PCS accounted for most of the discriminatory power.
Conclusions:
Overall, the accuracy of group classification was relatively modest, with a large proportion of misclassifications of children in the mild-TBI groups. Although children with mild TBI have more PCS than children with OI, PCS do not permit sufficiently accurate discrimination of mild TBI and injury severity to warrant diagnostic decisions at this time.
