Mild Brain Injuries Have Long-Lasting Effects in Children

Even "minor" concussions in children may have long-lasting repercussions. After studying 186 children aged 8 to 15 who suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) and were admitted to one of two Ohio-area children's hospitals, researchers have concluded that many children with mild TBI show reliable increases in postconcussive symptoms that are associated with significant functional impairment in their daily lives. The children were evaluated up to 12 months postinjury. "Health care providers need to be able to identify children with mild TBI who are at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms so that they can then target such children for appropriate management," wrote the researchers online March 5 in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Experts predict that civilians will benefit from the military's extensive experience over the last several years in treating TBI patients. Read more on this topic in Psychiatric News, here.

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