Recent Trends in Youth Concussions: A Brief Report

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) pose significant health challenges, particularly for young populations due to potential long-term consequences.
• Understanding trends in diagnosed concussions is crucial for developing effective prevention and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine recent trends in diagnosed concussions among pediatric patients within a large healthcare system.
• To analyze concussion incidence rates based on age, sex, and loss of consciousness (LOC).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, population-based epidemiological study design was employed.
• Electronic medical health records from 8,832,419 patient visits between 2013 and 2018 were analyzed.
• Patients were stratified by concussion type, age, sex, and year, distinguishing between concussions with (LOC) and without (nLOC) loss of consciousness.

Main Results:

• A total of 12,068 concussions were diagnosed, with an overall incidence rate of 1.37 per 1000 patients.
• The number of diagnosed concussions increased significantly from 2013 to 2018.
• Pediatric patients (under 18) accounted for 41.2% of all diagnosed concussions, with an incidence rate of 6.79 per 1000 patients.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of diagnosed concussions is rising, with a notable increase in pediatric cases.
• Further research is warranted to identify the primary causes of this trend and the long-term health implications of concussions, with or without LOC.