Evaluation of an active rehabilitation program for concussion management in children and adolescents

To estimate the extent to which post-concussion symptoms were influenced by participation in an Active Rehabilitation (AR) program (aerobic exercise, coordination drills, visualization and education) for children and adolescents who are slow to recover from concussion. A secondary exploratory objective included examining the influence of sex on symptom evolution.

Analysis of prospectively collected data was performed on 277 youth who initiated an AR program, between three and four weeks post-injury at a Concussion Clinic in a tertiary care paediatric teaching hospital.

Post-concussion symptom scale (PCSS) from Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-3 (SCAT 3).

Children and adolescents participating in an active rehabilitation program displayed improved post-concussion symptom severity at follow-up (median = 9.5) compared to pre-intervention (median = 18) (p < .05). Patients demonstrated improved physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep-related post-concussion symptoms (p < .05). Female sex was associated with an increased post-concussion symptom severity at follow-up.

Youth experiencing persisting symptoms three to four weeks post-concussion demonstrated improved post-concussion symptoms scores (physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep related) with participation in an active rehabilitation program.