Individuals with a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (m/sTBI), despite experiencing good locomotor recovery six months post-injury, face challenges in adapting their locomotion to the ...environment. They also present with altered cognitive functions, which may impact dual-task walking abilities. Whether they present collision avoidance strategies with moving pedestrians that are altered under dual-task conditions, however, remains unclear. This study aimed to compare between individuals with m/sTBI and age-matched control individuals: (1), the locomotor and cognitive costs associated with the concurrent performance of circumventing approaching virtual pedestrians (VRPs) while attending to an auditory-based cognitive task and; (2) gaze behaviour associated with the VRP circumvention task in single and dual-task conditions.
Twelve individuals with m/sTBI (age = 43.3 ± 9.5 yrs; >6 mo. post injury) and 12 healthy controls (CTLs) (age = 41.8 ± 8.3 yrs) were assessed while walking in a virtual subway station viewed in a head-mounted display. They performed a collision avoidance task with VRPs, as well as auditory-based cognitive tasks (pitch discrimination and auditory Stroop), both under single and dual-task conditions. Dual-task cost (DTC) for onset distance of trajectory deviation, minimum distance from the VRP, maximum lateral deviation, walking speed, gaze fixations and cognitive task accuracy were contrasted between groups using generalized estimating equations.
In contrast to CTLs who showed locomotor DTCs only, individuals with m/sTBI displayed both locomotor and cognitive DTCs. While both groups walked slower under dual-task conditions, only individuals with m/sTBI failed to modify their onset distance of trajectory deviation and maintained smaller minimum distances and smaller maximum lateral deviation compared to single-task walking. Both groups showed shorter gaze fixations on the approaching VRP under dual-task conditions, but this reduction was less pronounced in the individuals with m/sTBI. A reduction in cognitive task accuracy under dual-task conditions was found in the m/sTBI group only.
Individuals with m/sTBI present altered locomotor and gaze behaviours, as well as altered cognitive performances, when executing a collision avoidance task involving moving pedestrians in dual-task conditions. Potential mechanisms explaining those alterations are discussed. Present findings highlight the compromised complex walking abilities in individuals with m/sTBI who otherwise present a good locomotor recovery.
Objectives: To use the Transactional Model of Stress to understand variations in parental stress following pediatric concussion. Methods: Mixed-methods design. 49 children with concussion ...(13.8 ± 2.3 years, n
females
= 27) and their parent (n
females
= 40) were recruited from a specialty clinic. Quantitative data were collected via surveys at the child's initial clinic visit. Qualitative data were collected through an eleven-question, semi-structured interview with 12 parents. Interview questions focused on post-concussion stressors and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Multivariable linear regression analyzed predictors of parental stress . Results: Ten of the parents interviewed (83%) described the concussion as having a negative overall effect on their stress, while two parents described the overall experience as positive. Coping abilities and other life stressors were described as reasons for varying stress levels. Neurotic and conscientious personality factors and the child's quality of life total score accounted for 45% of the variance in parental stress (R
2
= 0.451, F
(3,33)
= 9.03, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Parental stress following pediatric concussion is highly variable. The Transactional Model of Stress appears useful to understand this phenomenon. Future studies should investigate interventions to reduce stress for parents experiencing high levels following their child's concussion.
Parental stress and anxiety negatively influences a child's recovery following traumatic brain injury, but these relationships are largely unexplored in a concussion-specific sample. We hypothesized ...that children with parents experiencing high stress or with pre-existing anxiety would take significantly longer to recover from concussion.
Mixed-methods.
Forty-nine concussed children (13.8 ± 2.3 years, nfemales = 27) and their parents were recruited. Quantitative data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale (10-item). Qualitative data (n = 12) were collected through a semi-structured interview with the parent. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models analyzed the effect of parental stress and anxiety on time in clinic (days between clinic presentation and discharge) and recovery time (days between concussion and clinic discharge). Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.
Parental anxiety was not significantly related to either the child's time in clinic (P = 0.27) or recovery time (P = 0.41). Conversely, higher perceived parental stress was related to longer recovery time (Hazard Ratio: 2.162, 95% CI: 1.075, 4.348; p = 0.03) for the injured child, with similar results for time in clinic (Hazard Ratio: 1.883, 95% CI: 0.966, 3.668, p = 0.06). During the interview, parents expressed their stress was directly tied to their child's symptoms and overall functioning and varied throughout recovery.
Recovery time is significantly longer in concussed children whose parents are experiencing higher levels of stress, but not pre-existing anxiety, following injury. Parental stress varies throughout recovery, with stress generally higher in the acute post-injury period. Clinicians should monitor parental stress post-concussion when possible.
To create a conceptual framework that classifies the various stresses parents experience following their child's concussion.
Twelve parents of children with concussion completed a semi-structured ...interview with the lead author. Questions broadly focused on post-concussion stress, with specific probes for caregiving responsibilities, concussion knowledge, and athletic participation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Ten mothers and 2 fathers participated. Five themes stemmed from our analysis: 1) Concussion Knowledge (central theme): stressors related to sources of concussion information; 2) Child Health Factors: stressors related to injury and illness, including concussion; 3) Activity Factors: stressors related to academic and athletic performance; 4) Parent-Injured Child Relationship Factors: stressors related to providing care to the child; and 5) Personal Factors: stressors unrelated to the concussion (e.g. family, social, career, etc.). Child Health Factors was most frequently identified as the primary stressor (n = 9).
Sources of parental stress were varied following pediatric concussion. Issues relating to the child's post-injury dysfunction and the uncertain recovery from concussion were key stressors identified by parents. Moving forward, this framework can be used to ground the development of specific parental stress screening tools and interventions, which may benefit the parent's mental health and the child's clinical recovery.
IntroductionTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem, and it is estimated that 85% of TBIs are diagnosed as mild and are commonly referred to as a concussion. In adults, symptoms ...are expected to resolve within 10–14 days after the injury, but up to 15% of individuals continue to have symptoms beyond this period. Recent clinical recommendations suggest the use of physical activity (PA) as a therapy to manage persisting symptoms. However, the recommendations regarding PA lack clarity about important intervention parameters to help clinicians deliver the intervention. The objectives of this scoping review are thus to identify the characteristics, the measurement tools, the health-related outcomes and the reported effectiveness of PA-based interventions for adults with persisting symptoms of a mild TBI (mTBI).Methods and analysisThis scoping review protocol will follow Arksey and O’Malley’s six-step iterative process enhanced by another study and will be conducted by a team of researchers and clinical experts. Five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscuss and Embase), as well as Google, will be searched using an extensive search strategy to capture relevant scientific and grey literature. Articles will be selected if they report on an intervention designed to have an impact on health-related outcomes or participation among individuals having sustained an mTBI. A data extraction form based on the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklists will be created. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed accordingly, synthesised and collated in tables.Ethics and disseminationThis scoping review generates new knowledge from published and publicly available literature; thus, an ethical approval is unnecessary to conduct this research. Dissemination of the results will involve all team members in activities aimed to facilitate knowledge uptake among TBI rehabilitation clinical experts locally, nationally and internationally.
The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility (safety and acceptability) of implementing early active rehabilitation (AR) for concussion management in youth with symptoms persisting 2 weeks ...after injury. A secondary and exploratory objective was to estimate the potential efficacy of early AR compared with standard AR. We hypothesize that AR at 2-weeks postconcussion will be safe and acceptable to patients.
Randomized clinical trial.
The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Center (MCH-MUHC), a tertiary care pediatric teaching hospital affiliated with McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Twenty youth aged 9 to 17 years old with postconcussion symptoms for at least 2 weeks.
Active rehabilitation (aerobic exercise, coordination drills, visualization, and education/reassurance) was administered by physiotherapists in-person, and then continued as a home program.
Twenty participants were randomized to either early AR (initiated 2 weeks after injury) or standard AR (initiated 4 weeks after injury).
Two adverse events (one in each group) were identified through an online survey more than one-month postconcussion. Postconcussion symptoms decreased over time for both groups.
The results from this pilot study indicate that a full clinical trial estimating the efficacy of early AR (starting 2 weeks after injury) is feasible. Further study is needed to determine the superiority of this strategy over current treatment approaches.
Our primary objectives were to identify clinical practice guideline recommendations for children with acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) presenting to an emergency department (ED), appraise ...their overall quality, and synthesize the quality of evidence and the strength of included recommendations.
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and medical association websites from January 2012 to May 2023 for clinical practice guidelines with at least 1 recommendation targeting pediatric mTBI populations presenting to the ED within 48 hours of injury for any diagnostic or therapeutic intervention in the acute phase of care (ED and inhospital). Pairs of reviewers independently assessed overall clinical practice guideline quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. The quality of evidence on recommendations was synthesized using a matrix based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence-to-Decision framework.
We included 11 clinical practice guidelines, of which 6 (55%) were rated high quality. These included 101 recommendations, of which 34 (34%) were based on moderate- to high-quality evidence, covering initial assessment, initial diagnostic imaging, monitoring/observation, therapeutic interventions, discharge advice, follow-up, and patient and family support. We did not identify any evidence-based recommendations in high-quality clinical practice guidelines for repeat imaging, neurosurgical consultation, or hospital admission. Lack of strategies and tools to aid implementation and editorial independence were the most common methodological weaknesses.
We identified 34 recommendations based on moderate- to high-quality evidence that may be considered for implementation in clinical settings. Our review highlights important areas for future research. This review also underlines the importance of providing strategies to facilitate the implementation of clinical practice guideline recommendations for pediatric mTBI.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children. Many clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have addressed pediatric TBI in the last decade but significant ...variability in the use of these guidelines persists. Here, we systematically review CPGs recommendations for pediatric moderate-to-severe TBI, evaluate the quality of CPGs, synthesize the quality of evidence and strength of included recommendations, and identify knowledge gaps. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE
, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Web sites of organizations publishing recommendations on pediatric injury care. We included CPGs developed in high-income countries from January 2012 to May 2023, with at least one recommendation targeting pediatric (≤ 19 years old) moderate-to-severe TBI populations. The quality of included clinical practice guidelines was assessed using the AGREE II tool. We synthesized evidence on recommendations using a matrix based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. We identified 15 CPGs of which 9 were rated moderate to high quality using AGREE II. We identified 90 recommendations, of which 40 (45%) were evidence based. Eleven of these were based on moderate to high quality evidence and were graded as moderate or strong by at least one guideline. These included transfer, imaging, intracranial pressure control, and discharge advice. We identified gaps in evidence-based recommendations for red blood cell transfusion, plasma and platelet transfusion, thromboprophylaxis, surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, early diagnosis of hypopituitarism, and mental health mangement. Many up-to-date CPGs are available, but there is a paucity of evidence to support recommendations, highlighting the urgent need for robust clinical research in this vulnerable population. Our results may be used by clinicians to identify recommendations based on the highest level of evidence, by healthcare administrators to inform guideline implementation in clinical settings, by researchers to identify areas where robust evidence is needed, and by guideline writing groups to inform the updating of existing guidelines or the development of new ones.
Social determinants of health (SDH), including "the conditions in which individuals are born, grow, work, live and age" affect child health and well-being. Several studies have synthesized evidence ...about the influence of SDH on childhood injury risks and outcomes. However, there is no systematic evidence about the impact of SDH on accessing care and quality of care once a child has suffered an injury. We aim to evaluate the extent to which access to care and quality of care after injury are affected by children and adolescents' SDH.
Using Cochrane methodology, we will conduct a systematic review including observational and experimental studies evaluating the association between social/material elements contributing to health disparities, using the PROGRESS-Plus framework: place of residence, race/ethnicity/culture/language, occupation, gender/sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, and social capital and care received by children and adolescents (≤ 19 years of age) after injury. We will consult published literature using PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier and grey literature using Google Scholar from their inception to a maximum of 6 months prior to submission for publication. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment for included studies. The risk of bias will be assessed using the ROBINS-E and ROB-2 tools respectively for observational and experimental study designs. We will analyze data to perform narrative syntheses, and if enough studies are identified, we will conduct a meta-analysis using random effects models.
This systematic review will provide a synthesis of evidence on the association between SDH and pediatric trauma care (access to care and quality of care) that clinicians and policymakers can use to better tailor care systems and promote equitable access and quality of care for all children. We will share our findings through clinical rounds, conferences, and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
PROSPERO CRD42023408467.
Background
Impairments to oculomotor (OM) and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function following pediatric mTBI have been demonstrated but are poorly understood. Such impairments can be associated with ...more negative prognosis, affecting physical and mental wellbeing, emphasizing the need to more fully understand how these evolve.
Objectives
to determine i) the extent to which performance on clinical and computerized tests of OM and VOR function varies over time in children and adolescents at 21 days, 3-, and 6-months post-mTBI; ii) the proportion of children and adolescents with mTBI presenting with abnormal scores on these tests at each timepoint.
Design
Prospective longitudinal design.
Setting
Tertiary care pediatric hospital.
Participants
36 participants with mTBI aged 6 to18.
Procedures
Participants were assessed on a battery of OM and VOR tests within 21 days, at 3- and 6-months post injury.
Outcome measures
Clinical measures
: Vestibular/ocular motor screening tool (VOMS)
(symptom provocation and performance); Computerized measures:
reflexive saccade test
(response latency)
, video head impulse test
(VOR gain), and
dynamic visual acuity test
(LogMAR change).
Analysis
Generalized estimating equations (parameter estimates and odd ratios) estimated the effect of time. Proportions above and below normal cut-off values were determined.
Results
Our sample consisted of 52.8% females mean age 13.98 (2.4) years, assessed on average 19.07 (8–33) days post-injury. Older children performed better on visual motion sensitivity (OR 1.43,
p
= 0.03) and female participants worse on near point of convergence (OR 0.19,
p
= 0.03). Change over time (toward recovery) was demonstrated by VOMS overall symptom provocation (OR 9.90,
p
= 0.012), vertical smooth pursuit (OR 4.04,
p
= 0.03), voluntary saccade performance (OR 6.06,
p
= 0.005) and right VOR gain (0.068,
p
= 0.013). Version performance and VOR symptom provocation showed high abnormal proportions at initial assessment.
Discussion
Results indicate impairments to the VOR pathway may be present and driving symptom provocation. Vertical smooth pursuit and saccade findings underline the need to include these tasks in test batteries to comprehensively assess the integrity of OM and vestibular systems post-mTBI.
Implications
Findings demonstrate 1) added value in including symptom and performance-based measures in when OM and VOR assessments; 2) the relative stability of constructs measured beyond 3 months post mTBI.
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