Adolescents with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Get SMART: An Analysis of a Novel Web-Based Intervention

There have been few trials of interventions to facilitate recovery following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in adolescence. To address this gap, we developed and piloted a novel Web-based intervention, entitled Self-Management Activity Restriction and Relaxation Training (SMART), and examined its impact on symptom burden, functional disability, and executive functioning during the month following mTBI in adolescents.

Open-label, single arm study. Adolescents with recent mTBI and a parent were recruited from the emergency department and provided access upon discharge to SMART-a Web-based program designed to facilitate recovery via self-management and education about symptoms and sequelae associated with mTBI. Symptom burden, functional disability, and executive functioning were rated by both the adolescent and the parent initially and at assessments at 1-, 2- and 4-weeks postinjury. Mixed models analyses were used to examine trajectories on these outcomes.

Of the 21 adolescent/parent dyads enrolled, 13 engaged in the program and reported significant improvement in symptoms over the 4-week program (adolescent, p = 0.0005; parent, p = 0.004). Adolescents spent a median of 35.5 min (range 1.1-107.6) using the program. Parent ratings of the adolescent's functional disability and executive functioning significantly improved over the 4-week period from baseline (p = 0.009 and p = 0.03, respectively), whereas adolescents themselves did not report significant changes in either outcome. All participants improved and there were no adverse outcomes.

The SMART program, a novel Web-based intervention, may serve as a self-management tool for adolescents and their parents to assist with the recovery following a recent mTBI.