Postconcussion syndrome

Recent-era U.S. veterans are clinically complex, with a high prevalence of co-occurring mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), psychiatric conditions, and behavioral dysfunction. The current study examined the direct and indirect associations between mTBI and persistent neurobehavioral, psychiatric, and functional disability symptoms among recent-era U.S. veterans and service members (n = 648). We evaluated the postconcussive syndrome (PCS) potential causal model with two network analysis modeling approaches. Separate analyses were conducted for military mTBI and lifetime mTBI...

This study aimed to examine the incidence and characteristics of physical disabilities in patients with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Of 203 patients diagnosed with PCS after mTBI, 10 patients with definite physical disabilities (worse than moderate disability on the Glasgow outcome scale [GOS], <4 points and inability to walk independently on the Functional Ambulation Category [FAC], <3 points) were enrolled. Ten of the 203 patients included in the analysis based on prespecified inclusion criteria were further evaluated...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major public health concern. Although the majority of individuals that suffer mild-moderate TBI recover relatively quickly, a substantial subset of individuals experiences prolonged and debilitating symptoms. An exacerbated response to physiological and psychological stressors after TBI may mediate poor functional recovery. Individuals with TBI can suffer from poor stress tolerance, impairments in the ability to evaluate stressors, and poor initiation (and cessation) of neuroendocrine stress responses, all of which can exacerbate TBI-mediated dysfunction...

INTRODUCTION: Concussion is a growing public health concern. No uniformly established therapy exists; neurofeedback studies report treatment value. We use infralow frequency neuromodulation (ILF) to remediate disabling neurological symptoms caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and noted improved outcomes with a novel concussion protocol. Postconcussion symptoms (PCS) and persistent postconcussion symptoms (PPCS; >3 months post head injury) are designated timelines for protracted neurological complaints following TBI...

Over 40 years of research have shown that traumatic brain injury affects brain volume. However, technical and practical limitations made it difficult to detect brain volume abnormalities in patients suffering from chronic effects of mild or moderate traumatic brain injury. This situation improved in 2006 with the FDA clearance of NeuroQuant® , a commercially available, computer-automated software program for measuring MRI brain volume in human subjects. More recent strides were made with the introduction of NeuroGage® , commercially available software that is based on NeuroQuant® and extends its utility in several ways...

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury results in over 15% of patients progressing to Persistent Postconcussion Syndrome, a condition with significant consequences and limited treatment options. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been applied to Persistent Postconcussion Syndrome with conflicting results based on its historical understanding/definition as a disease-specific therapy. This is a systematic review of the evidence for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in Persistent Postconcussion Syndrome using a dose-analysis that is based on the scientific definition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a dual-component drug composed of increased barometric pressure and hyperoxia...

BACKGROUND: Approximately one-third of all concussions lead to persistent postconcussion syndrome (PPCS). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation that has been extensively used to treat refractory major depressive disorder and has a strong potential to be used as a treatment for patients with PPCS. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has already been used as a tool to assess patients with PPCS and may provide insight into the pathophysiology of rTMS treatment in patients with PPCS...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides the reader with an overview of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Key aspects of the pathophysiology, signs, and symptoms, treatment and rehabilitation, and recovery from concussion/mild TBI are reviewed with an emphasis on the variety of factors that may contribute to cognitive concerns following injury. RECENT FINDINGS: Concussion remains a clinical diagnosis based on symptoms that occur in the immediate aftermath of an applied force and in the hours, days, and weeks thereafter...

Background: After a sport-related concussion (SRC), the risk for lower extremity injury is approximately 2 times greater, and the risk for another SRC may be as much as 3 to 5 times greater. Purpose: To assess the predictive validity of screening methods for identification of individual athletes who possess an elevated risk of SRC. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Metrics derived from a smartphone flanker test software application and self-ratings of both musculoskeletal function and overall wellness were acquired from American high school and college football players before study participation...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the trajectories of persistent postconcussion symptoms (PPCS) after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and to investigate which injury-related and personal factors are associated with symptom reporting. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Follow-up at 3 and 12 months postinjury. SETTING: A level 1 trauma center and an emergency outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with MTBI (n=358), trauma controls (n=75), and community controls (n=78)...

Postconcussion syndrome (PCS) is a term attributed to the constellation of symptoms that fail to recover after a concussion. PCS is associated with a variety of symptoms such as headaches, concentration deficits, fatigue, depression and anxiety that have an enormous impact on patients' lives. There is currently no diagnostic biomarker for PCS. There have been attempts at identifying structural and functional brain changes in patients with PCS, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI (fMRI), respectively, and relate them to specific PCS symptoms...

OBJECTIVE: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major cause of emergency room (ER) admission. Thirty percent of mTBI patients have postconcussion syndrome (PCS), and 15% have symptoms for over a year. This population is underdiagnosed and does not receive appropriate care. The authors proposed a fast and inexpensive fluorometric measurement of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a biomarker for PCS. cfDNA is a proven, useful marker of a variety of acute pathological conditions such as trauma and acute illness...

The psychological trauma associated with events resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important and frequently overlooked factor that may impede brain recovery and worsen mental health following TBI. Indeed, individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI have significantly poorer clinical outcomes than individuals with a sole diagnosis. Emotion dysregulation is a common factor leading to poor cognitive and affective outcomes following TBI. Here, we synthesize how acute postinjury molecular processes stemming from either physical or emotional trauma may adversely impact circuitry subserving emotion regulation and ultimately yield long-term system-level functional and structural changes that are common to TBI and PTSD...

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved therapy in major depressive disorder. However, its treatment efficacy on depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of executing rTMS over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on depression, cognitive impairment and post-concussion syndrome in individuals with traumatic brain injury. This study contained seven randomized controlled trials that published before April 5, 2020 in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases...

Neurobehavioral sequelae after mild traumatic brain injury are multifactorial, often necessitating a multidisciplinary approach. Neurobehavioral sequelae generally resolve within 3 months; when more persistent, a search for contributing factors beyond a brain injury should be done. To accomplish this, a systematic and comprehensive evaluation is recommended to place the complaint in context of the patient's premorbid state. The treatment of neurobehavioral sequelae cannot be accomplished without a clear understanding of the underlying cause, and the treatment must be placed within a patient's social and functional framework...

Some illnesses and diseases are not apparent to onlookers. Conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, postconcussive syndrome, endometriosis, and many psychiatric illnesses, for example, have symptoms that are not easily or at all measurable. Both clinicians and health care systems, however, tend to focus exclusively on measurability, which can result in evidentiary overreliance and undervaluation of experience narratives and can have clinically, ethically, and socially important consequences for patients with these conditions...

OBJECTIVE: Response distortions in the reporting of postconcussion symptoms can occur for many reasons. The Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) was recently modified to include an embedded symptom validity indicator to test for atypical symptoms. The present study used a simulation design to investigate the psychometric properties of the modified RPQ (mRPQ). METHOD: 298 adult volunteers were randomised into three groups: honest responding (Controls, C) who reported actual, current symptoms; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) simulators (MS) who role played being injured, and; biased mTBI simulators (BMS) who role played being injured and were asked to bias (exaggerate) their response...

OBJECTIVE: Patients with concussion frequently present to the emergency department (ED). Studies of athletes and children indicate that concussion symptoms are often more severe and prolonged in females compared with males. Given infrequent study of concussion symptoms in the general adult population, the authors conducted a sex-based comparison of patients with concussion. METHODS: Adults (≥ 17 years of age) presenting with concussion to one of three urban Canadian EDs were recruited...

About 85% of survivors of acute Wernicke's Encephalopathy (WE), a frequent and serious consequence of thiamine deficiency and alcohol misuse, sustain chronic neurocognitive deficits also known as chronic Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS). If alcoholism is combined with smoking, tobacco alcohol optic neuropathy (TAON) may occur which leads to visual impairment. In contrast to WKS, TAON may be treated successfully by early vitamin substitution and detoxification. Little research has been conducted on WKS longterm outcomes...

Postconcussion syndrome (PCS) is a complex set of symptoms occurring in a small percentage of patients following concussion. The condition is characterized by headaches, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, somatosensory issues, and a variety of other symptoms with varying durations. There is a lack of objective markers and standard treatment protocols. With the complexity created by premorbid conditions, psychosomatic issues, secondary gains, and litigations, providers often find themselves in a tough situation in the care of these patients...