Persistent post-concussion symptoms and recovery in children and adolescents

Casey, Stephanie (2022) Persistent post-concussion symptoms and recovery in children and adolescents. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Objective: This systematic review explores psychological interventions for Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms (PPCS) in children.

Methods: Literature published until July 2021 was retrieved from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, NeuroBITE and CINAHL. Inclusion criteria were (1) sample with a mean age under 19 and PPCS (2) studies exploring psychological intervention or multimodal interventions that include a psychological component to treatment (3) any study design except single case (4) a measure of at least one of the following: PPCS, Quality of Life (QOL), anxiety or depression. Risk of bias was assessed using NHLBI quality tools. A narrative synthesis of results is presented.

Results: Twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Only eleven studies were of good quality and low risk of bias. Interventions were highly heterogenous but typically included one or more of the following: psychoeducation, neuropsychological assessment, psychological therapy, or psychological skills-based exercises. Improvements in PPCS and QOL were evidenced across studies however, due to a variety of methodological limitations, these findings must be understood tentatively.

Conclusion: In the context of the literature which is limited and of low quality, psychoeducation as a standalone treatment, and active rehabilitation with CBT show the best promise of improvements in PPCS and QOL. Research on psychological interventions for children with PPCS is in its infancy and there are significant gaps that warrant further research to develop meaningful recommendations for treatment.

Key Words: persistent post-concussion symptoms, PCS, PPCS, paediatric, brain injury, post-concussion syndrome

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	James Tweddle
Date Deposited:	07 Nov 2022 15:00
Last Modified:	07 Nov 2022 15:00
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/89691
DOI:

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