Recovery in children ages 5-10 years at three months post-concussion

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Sports medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Persistent concussion symptoms can affect children beyond the typical 3-4 week recovery period.
• Understanding atypical recovery in elementary-aged children is limited due to sparse research.
• Concussion recovery in young children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify lingering symptoms at three months post-concussion in elementary-aged children.
• To determine factors associated with prolonged concussion recovery in this age group.
• To improve clinical monitoring for children experiencing prolonged concussion symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Study included 123 children aged 5-10 years treated at concussion clinics.
• Participants were categorized into expected and late recovery groups.
• Parent-reported concussion symptoms were assessed using the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5).

Main Results:

• The most common lingering symptoms included headache, irritability, emotional lability, and noise sensitivity.
• Female sex was identified as a predictor of prolonged recovery.
• Higher total symptom burden at the initial visit also predicted prolonged recovery.

Conclusions:

• Female sex and initial symptom burden are key predictors of prolonged concussion recovery in elementary-aged children.
• Specific symptoms at three months did not predict prolonged recovery.
• Clinicians should closely monitor girls with numerous initial concussion symptoms for potential prolonged recovery.