Psychologists' Role in Concussion Assessments for Children and Adolescents in Pediatric Practice

An estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million children and adolescents in the United States are treated for a sports- or recreationally-related concussion each year. The importance of formalized assessment and measurement of concussion symptoms has been widely recognized as a component of best-practice treatment. The present paper reviews a sample of the most commonly used measures of concussion symptomology and explores psychologists' role in their application in a pediatric practice. In addition, other issues such as accessibility and the appropriateness of application with child and adolescent patients are discussed. Literature is reviewed from journals pertaining to pediatric and adolescent medicine, sports medicine, neuropsychology, and testing and measurement.