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Updated: Aug 22, 2025
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
Post-concussion symptoms 1-year after traumatic brain injury: using the Rivermead Post-concussion Questionnaire to
Kelvin Sunday Obiano1, Rajiv Singh2, Jeremy Dawson3
1The University of Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Sheffield, UK.
Background:
Patients who suffer traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience a constellation of physical, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral symptoms called "post-concussion symptoms" and subsequent long-term disability. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of persistent post-concussion symptoms and possible predictors of long-term disability focusing on demographic, injury, and psychological factors. It was hoped to identify groups at high risk.
Methods:
A prospective cohort of 1322 individuals admitted with TBI were assessed in a specialist neurorehabilitation clinic at 10 weeks and 1-year post injury between August 2011 and July 2015. The outcome (post-concussion symptoms) was measured using the Rivermead Post-concussion Questionnaire (RPQ) at 1-year post injury.
Results:
At 1 yr, 1131 individuals were identified (>90% follow-up). Over 20% exhibited moderate or severe symptom levels on RPQ. A linear regression model showed that previous psychiatric history, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), severe CT abnormalities, injury caused by assault, pre-injury unemployment, and inability to return to work at 6 weeks post-injury were associated with worse symptoms at 1 yr. The adjusted R2 of the model was 25.1%.
Conclusion:
These findings confirm the high incidence of post-concussion symptoms at 1 yr and identify certain associated features that increase risk. This may allow targeting of certain groups, e.g., return to work or victims of assault.
