Predictors of Treatment Response to Multidisciplinary Care for Persistent Symptoms after Pediatric Concussion.

Purpose: To assess which pediatric patients experiencing persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS) benefit most from multidisciplinary treatment including specialists in Neurology, Neuropsychology, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Training, and to explore the effectiveness of this approach.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 56 adolescents 10-20 years old (M = 15.0 ± 2.1) receiving multidisciplinary care for PCS (>30 days) was conducted.

Results: Systolic blood pressure and Body Mass Index predicted time to concussion resolution ( < .05), such that higher values were associated with slower resolution. PCS scores significantly decreased between participants' initial and final clinic visits, < .01, and among the 25 participants for whom pre-intervention PCS scores were available, symptom severity scores significantly declined following multidisciplinary intervention compared to pre-referral values ( < .01).

Conclusions: Exploratory analyses reveal that multidisciplinary treatment is a promising approach for reducing symptoms among adolescents with PCS, and that those with greater levels of physical fitness may benefit most.