Multidomain Predictors of Protracted Recovery following Concussion Among 5- to 9-Year-Old Patients: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: To determine which components from a multidomain assessment best predict protracted recovery in pediatric patients with a concussion.

Study Design: A prospective cohort of patients aged 5-9 years who presented within 21 days of concussion to a specialty clinic were categorized into normal (≤30 days) and protracted (>30 days) recovery. Participants provided demographic and medical history information, and completed the Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 symptom report and balance assessment, the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screen-Child (VOMS-C), and the Pediatric Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing.

Cognitive Development and the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing: A Case for Separate Norms in Preadolescents.

With youth sports participation and concern about sports-related concussions both on the rise, it is important to properly measure cognitive function to ensure the clinical utility of baseline testing. Computerized testing batteries are often employed as baseline and postinjury measures of cognitive function, with the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) being the most used of all the current testing platforms. The current study compared 10- to 12-year-old children across the composite scores yielded by the ImPACT and provided normative data on each of the subtests used to calculate the composite scores.

Concussion management in the child and adolescent athlete.

This article reviews the status of concussion management in child and adolescent athletes. Children and adolescent athletes represent a distinct group from adult athletes, although past concussion guidelines have not specifically addressed these differences. It is the position of this article that younger athletes need to be considered as a separate group and that conservative management of concussion is often called for.

The relation between post concussion symptoms and neurocognitive performance in concussed athletes.

The objective of this study was to examine differences in neurocognitive performance between symptomatic concussed athletes, a group of concussed athletes with no subjective symptoms, and a non-concussed control group of athletes. All concussed athletes were evaluated within one week of injury using the ImPACT computerized test battery. Results indicate that concussed athletes who denied subjective symptoms demonstrated poorer performance than control subjects on all four composite scores of the ImPACT test batters (Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, Reaction Time and Processing Speed However, the concussed but asymptomatic group demonstrated significantly better performance than did the concussed and symptomatic group.

Absence of gender differences in pediatric bipolar disorder: findings from a large sample of referred youth.

Background: Because little is known about gender differences in pediatric bipolar disorder, we evaluated whether gender moderates the expression of pediatric bipolar disorder in a large clinical sample.

Methods: Subjects were consecutively referred youth aged 18 years or less who met full criteria for DSM-III-R bipolar disorder (BPD) (females, n=74; BD males, n=224). All subjects were assessed with a structured diagnostic interview and measures of psychosocial and family functioning.