Concussion: A Comprehensive Review of Current Evidence

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sports Medicine
• Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Background:

• Concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury, affects millions annually with substantial economic impact.
• Continuous evolution of diagnostic tools and interventions is driven by concussion's prevalence and burden.
• Current research focuses on improving diagnosis, recovery, and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize current best practices for concussion diagnosis, recovery, and management.
• To summarize up-to-date data and expert opinions on concussion care.
• To identify evolving trends and remaining gaps in concussion research.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2015-2025).
• Prioritization of systematic reviews, randomized trials, and consensus guidelines.
• Focus on synthesizing current best-practices and expert opinions.

Main Results:

• Concussion diagnosis remains clinical, supported by tools like SCAT6, but with limitations.
• Biomarkers show sensitivity for intracranial injury but limited utility for uncomplicated concussion.
• Recovery is variable, influenced by symptom burden, patient factors, and injury mechanism.
• Management emphasizes early, symptom-guided activity and multimodal rehabilitation.
• Persistent symptoms require individualized care due to multifactorial etiologies.
• Concussion care trends toward objective assessment and personalized management, with remaining gaps.

Conclusions:

• Concussion management is shifting towards personalized, objective assessments and targeted rehabilitation.
• While progress has been made, challenges persist in precise diagnosis and predicting recovery.
• Further research is needed to address diagnostic limitations and improve prediction of prolonged recovery.