Concussion in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Pediatric concussion is a growing concern as children across the country become more involved in sports and are leading more active lifestyles. Mild traumatic injuries to the brain are common and can have varied clinical presentation ranging from minimal to severe symptomatology. The morbidity associated with these injuries usually resolves in a matter of weeks or becomes more protracted, causing significant disruption in lifestyle and quality of life. We explore here recent research addressing innovations in acute care, treatment of protracted concussive recovery (postconcussion syndrome), and the assessment of cognitive outcomes and their interpretation as well as new approaches to modeling recovery based on biochemical and neuroimaging biomarkers.