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Risk factors for prolonged recovery from concussion in young patients
  1. Steven Cuff1,2,
  2. Aaron Maki3,
  3. Robyn Feiss4,
  4. Julie Young1,
  5. Junxin Shi5,
  6. Amanda Hautmann4,
  7. Jingzhen Yang4,5
  1. 1 Division of Sports Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Westerville, Ohio, USA
  2. 2 The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
  3. 3 Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
  4. 4 Center for Injury Research & Policy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
  5. 5 Biostatistics Resource at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Steven Cuff, Sports Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Westerville, OH 43082, USA; Steven.Cuff{at}nationwidechildrens.org

Abstract

Objectives For young patients sustaining concussion, assessing recovery is vital in determining safe return to play. Identifying risk factors may aid clinicians in recognising patients at risk for prolonged recovery. The study objective is to identify risk factors for prolonged (>28 days) and extended (>90 days) recovery (defined as symptom duration) and analyse how these risk factors differ between the two groups.

Methods We retrospectively analysed electronic health record data (n=4937) among patients aged 10–18 years collected at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine concussion clinics between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2019. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities (eg, prior psychiatric diagnoses, prior concussions) and injury characteristics (eg, loss of consciousness, injury setting). We examined patient risk factors for prolonged (>28 days) and/or extended (>90 days) recovery using modified Poisson regression models.

Results Factors associated with increased risk of prolonged recovery from concussion included prior concussions (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 1.19, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.38) for two concussions (ARR 1.36, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.61), for >3, and higher initial symptom score (ARR 2.57, 95% CI 2.34 to 2.83) for postconcussion symptom (PCS) scores 21–60 (ARR 2.89, 95% CI 2.54 to 3.29), for PCS>60. Risk factors for extended recovery included history of concussion (ARR 1.50, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.06) for two concussions (ARR 1.75, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.62), for >3 and older age (15–18 years, ARR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.18). Additionally, comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increased risk of prolonged recovery (ARR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.29) while anxiety increased risk for extended recovery (ARR 1.47, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.95).

Conclusion Overall, risk factors for prolonged recovery differ somewhat from risk factors for extended recovery. For patients who present to clinic with concussion, mental health is an important consideration which may impact the timeline for symptom recovery.

  • Brain Concussion
  • Sports medicine

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105598

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available upon reasonable request.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors SC and AM contributed equally to this paper as first authors. SC contributed to the conception and design of the work and critically revised the content and acts as guaranter of the study. AM and RF contributed to interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript and revising the content. JYo contributed to study conception and design, drafting of the manuscript and revising the content. JS contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript and revising the content. AH contributed to study conception and revising the content. JYa contributed to study conception and design, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafting and revision of the manuscript. All authors gave final approval of the manuscript to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests JYo disclosed an intramural grant from Nationwide Children’s Hospital to investigate mental health and physical activity in adolescents, along with receiving the Ray Travel Award to present research at Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRISM) conference.

    • Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.