Studies have shown that even a single mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during childhood can increase the risk of developing psychological disorders later in life. Researchers have found that prolonged physical and cognitive symptoms, such as fatigue and headaches, are predictors of reduced quality of life and may lead to mental health problems. It is therefore important to identify at-risk children in order to address or prevent future psychiatric problems.
The objective of this study was to identify risk factors and develop strategies for preventing psychiatric problems after mTBI. The study included 120 children and adolescents who had experienced an mTBI. The researchers collected data from hospital records and evaluated the children using neuropsychological tests, questionnaires, and interviews. They aimed to determine whether neuropsychological test performance at 1-3 months following an mTBI predicted the development of post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms. The researchers also examined whether certain mTBI symptoms, such as fatigue and headache, predicted later psychiatric care. The researchers found that:
- Slow information processing speed, as measured by the coding subtest of the WISC IV test and hit response time from the CPT II test, predicted later psychiatric care.
- Child or parent-reported emotion regulation difficulties and impulsivity, using the BRIEF questionnaire, predicted later psychiatric care.
- Children suffering from headaches 1-3 months following injury predicted later psychiatric care.
Children with mTBI should undergo a comprehensive neuropsychological examination to identify their risk for later psychiatric disorders. Symptoms such as emotional regulation difficulties, impulsivity, and headaches should be considered “red flags” and monitored closely. Clinicians should provide parents with guidance and consider referring at-risk children to rehabilitation services. Future research could explore the relationship between brain imaging and processing speed tasks to understand underlying structural brain pathology.
Saarinen M, Isaksson N, Himanen L, Erkinjuntti N, Vahlberg T, Koskinen S, Tenovuo O, Lähdesmäki T. Cognitive functions and symptoms predicting later use of psychiatric services following mild traumatic brain injury in school-age. Brain Injury. (April 2023).