A new study suggests that symptom prevalence and severity are the best predictors of how long it will take a person to recover from a concussion.
Researchers say other models like computerized neurocognitive testing are not as predictive.
“The bottom line is that the lower your symptoms score [on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale] when you have your first clinic appointment, the more likely you are to recover quickly, and the higher your score, the more likely you will have a longer recovery,” said lead study author William Meehan III, MD, of the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention.
Concussion Study
For their analysis, researchers examined patient data from 531 patients who visited the Sports Concussion Clinic in Boston within three weeks of their initial injury. Average patient age was 14.6 years old, and about two-thirds were male.
The PCSS test evaluates concussions on a scale of 0-132 by assigning 22 different symptoms with a grade of 0 (not experiencing symptom) to 6 (severe). The average patient scored a 26 on the PCSS test. After comparing symptoms and PCSS data, researchers found:
- 86 percent of patients with a PCSS score of 13 or less saw their symptoms relieve within 28 days.
- 65 percent of patients with a PCSS score of 14 or more saw their symptoms relieve within 28 days.
- 21.1 percent of patients lost consciousness during their injury, 33.1 percent experienced amnesia, and 34.7 percent revealed they had previously suffered a concussion.
Dr. Meehan said individuals with a low PCSS score should allow for a period of physical and mental rest before returning to sport and intense schoolwork, while those with severely high PCSS scores (over 100) need to be prepared “for the possibility of a long recovery,” said Dr Meehan.
“You let them know so they can tell their teammates and their coach,” he concluded.
Dr. Silverman comments
Stop the presses!
You’re telling me that a player who sustained an injury to his head and has a higher grade of injury as documented by increased number of symptoms has a longer recovery time? This obviously isn’t surprising.
What I did find interesting is the fact that the symptom grading system was a much better predictor of recovery time than computer models. This isn’t to say MRIs aren’t helpful during diagnosis, but symptom expression seems to be the best indicator of how long a recovery the patient may face. I hope we continue to build on computer models so they can be used in conjunction with symptom expression.
Related source: Medscape
