Early Postinjury Screen Time and Concussion Recovery

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Sports medicine
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• Concussion recovery in children and adolescents is influenced by various factors.
• The role of early screen time in postconcussion symptom severity requires further investigation.
• Comparing concussion to orthopedic injury (OI) provides a crucial control group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between early screen time and postconcussion symptom severity.
• To compare these associations in children and adolescents with concussion versus orthopedic injury (OI).

Main Methods:

• Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 633 children/adolescents with concussion and 334 with OI (aged 8-16).
• Screen time assessed via Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Questionnaire; symptoms via Health and Behavior Inventory.
• Generalized least squares models analyzed symptom outcomes, considering screen time, covariates, and interactions.

Main Results:

• Screen time significantly moderated symptom severity non-linearly for parent-reported somatic and self-reported cognitive symptoms.
• Both low and high early screen time were linked to more severe symptoms in the concussion group versus OI group within 30 days.
• Other risk factors and health behaviors demonstrated stronger associations with symptom severity than screen time.

Conclusions:

• The relationship between early screen time and postconcussion symptoms is not linear.
• Recommending moderated screen time is a potential clinical management strategy.
• Further research should explore optimal screen time guidelines for concussion recovery.