Concussions associated with increased risk of children developing behavioral and affective disorders
By Chelsea Ryan. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.
In a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, Dupont et al. focused on the initial three months following concussion in young children (6-72 months). The research team unveiled significant results, finding that children who experienced an early childhood concussion displayed a higher incidence of post-concussion symptoms compared to uninjured children and those with orthopedic injuries. The authors conclude that “These findings suggest that early childhood concussion can result in significantly elevated postconcussive symptoms, which may remain present 3 months after injury and are not solely attributable to general injury effects or typical development.”
The study, led by Dominique Dupont from the Université of Montréal, recruited 303 children aged 6 to 72 months from urban Canadian and US pediatric emergency departments and daycares from March 2023 to January 2024. The researchers employed developmentally appropriate measures to track the evolution of postconcussive symptoms over a three-month period following injury. The study shed light on the fact that children with mild traumatic brain injury/concussion exhibited a greater burden of postconcussive symptoms, along with diminished motor, social, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. Notably, these symptoms––including ”headache, nausea, balance difficulties, fatigue and drowsiness, sleep disturbances, vision difficulties, and sensitivity to noise”––were significantly elevated even at three months post-concussion. Moreover, these children displayed evidence of altered brain structure, as evidenced by elevated stress hormone levels and disrupted sleep patterns compared to the control group.
This study challenges the existing idea that early childhood concussion may have relatively benign effects and highlights that postconcussive symptoms can be relatively long-lasting. It also demonstrates the importance of professionals utilizing developmentally appropriate measures to track postconcussive symptoms in children in order to facilitate timely diagnosis and conduct effective interventions to safeguard their overall quality of life. The study significantly advances the understanding of postconcussive symptoms in early childhood, emphasizing the significant need for individualized care for this population. It highlights the importance of ongoing research in pediatric concussion.