Cognitive and physical symptoms of concussive injury in children: a detailed longitudinal recovery study.

BACKGROUND: Recovery from concussion sustained in childhood and adolescence is poorly understood. We explored patterns of recovery for neurocognition and postconcussive symptoms following concussion in children and adolescents. METHODS: Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we collected baseline data on 728 children and adolescents aged 10-17 years. 10 participants sustained a concussive injury (n=10) in the 12 months following baseline testing and they were reviewed at day 5, 10 and 30 postconcussion. Assessments included the CogSport for Kids computerised test battery to evaluate neurocognitive function and self-report, and parent measures of postconcussive symptoms. At day 30, parents also completed measures rating their child's quality of life and executive functions. RESULTS: Children and adolescents displayed a gradual reduction in postconcussive symptoms over the 30 days following injury. At day 5, 87% of participants were reporting physical and cognitive symptoms, with a generalised reduction in all symptoms by day 10 (40% of participants). On the computerised measure, reaction time was slower after concussion, but returned to baseline levels by day 30. At day 30, 10% of participants demonstrated ongoing postconcussive symptoms. Number of previous concussions was related to speed of symptom resolution. CONCLUSIONS: At 5 days postconcussion, the majority of children and adolescents experienced debilitating postconcussive symptoms. However, by 30 days postinjury, 90% demonstrated recovery to normal for both neurocognition and postconcussive symptoms.

Developmental Trajectory of Information-Processing Skills in Children: Computer-Based Assessment.

There are significant merits to a comprehensive cognitive assessment, but they are also time-consuming, costly, and susceptible to practice effects and may not detect change in the context of medical interventions or minor brain disruptions. Brief computer-based assessments focused on "fluid" cognitive domains (e.g., information-processing skills), which are vulnerable to disruption as a result of a brain injury, may provide an alternative assessment option. This study sought to: (a) examine the utility of a well-established, adult-based computerized tool, CogSport for Kids (CogState), for evaluating information-processing skills in children and adolescents; and (b) to report normative data for healthy children and adolescents. The study was a cross-sectional, community-based observational study of typically developing children aged 9 to 17 years old (N = 832). Participants completed the CogSport for Kids test battery, which includes six brief computerized tasks that assess cognitive functions including processing speed, attention, and working memory. Results showed an improvement with age for response speed and accuracy. The greatest change occurred between 9 and 12 years with performance stabilizing at 15 years. This brief screening tool is appropriate for clinical and research use in children aged 9 years and older and may be used to track cognitive development from childhood into adulthood and to identify children who deviate from normal expectations.