Usefulness of the rivermead postconcussion symptoms questionnaire and the trail-making test for outcome prediction in patients with mild traumatic brain injury

Cognitive Outcome After Complicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive outcome for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with positive brain imaging (complicated mTBI) was compared with that for mTBI with normal imaging (uncomplicated mTBI) and with moderate to severe TBI, using meta-analysis. Twenty-three studies utilizing objective neurocognitive tests were included in the analysis. At less than 3 months post-injury, complicated mTBI was associated with poorer cognitive outcomes than uncomplicated mTBI, but deficits were not comparable to those with moderate-severe TBI. After 3 months post-injury, a similar pattern was detected. Beyond 3 months, deficits in complicated mTBI relative to those with uncomplicated mTBI were present in processing speed, memory, executive function, and language, although the latter may be the result of reduced semantic fluency. The effect size of deficits in these domains was more marked in moderate-severe TBI. The available data support the use of complicated mTBI as a distinct classification in the prediction of cognitive outcome. The extent of cognitive deficit in complicated mTBI was small and unlikely to cause significant disability. However, patients with complicated mTBI constitute a broad category encompassing individuals who may differ markedly in the nature and extent of intracranial imaging abnormality, and further studies are warranted. Limitations of the available studies include small, selected samples; variations in TBI severity classification; absence of validity ("effort") testing; differing imaging methodology; and lack of long-term follow-up.

Dizziness After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective TRACK-TBI Analysis of Risk Factors, Quality of Life, and Neurocognitive Effects

OBJECTIVE

To determine the longitudinal incidence of dizziness and its association with demographic factors, neurocognitive effects, functionality, and quality of life.

STUDY DESIGN

Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study in which TBI patients were assessed at the emergency department and 2-week, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up via telephone and/or in-person visits.

SETTING

Multicenter study in emergency departments of 18 academic medical centers in the United States.

PATIENTS

A total of 1,514 patients 17 years or older with a diagnosis of TBI, injury occurrence within 24 hours of admission, fluency in English or Spanish, and completed Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) at 12 months were enrolled between February 2014 and August 2018.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

RPQ, Short Form-12 Version 2, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV, Trail Making Test, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PROMIS-PAIN, and Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended Revised. The primary outcome measure was a self-report of "feelings of dizziness" on RPQ at 12 months post-TBI.

RESULTS

Of the 1,514 participants, 1,002 (66%) were male and 512 (34%) were female. The mean age was 41.6 (SD, 17.4) years. At 12 months, 26% experienced dizziness, with 9% experiencing moderate or severe dizziness. Dizziness was strongly associated with headache (odds ratio [OR], 3.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.92-4.07; p < 0.001), nausea (OR, 4.43; 95% CI, 3.45-5.69; p < 0.001), worse hearing (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 2.64-4.82; p < 0.001), noise sensitivity (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.54-3.59; p < 0.001), and light sensitivity (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 2.91-4.23; p < 0.001). In multivariable regression models, participants with severe dizziness demonstrated lower performance compared with those without new or worse dizziness on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV (-6.64; p < 0.001), Trail Making Test part A (7.90; p = 0.003) and part B (19.77; p = 0.028), and Short Form-12 physical (-13.60; p < 0.001) and mental health (-11.17; p < 0.001), after controlling for age, sex, education, and TBI severity.

CONCLUSION

Dizziness is common among TBI patients and relates to quality of life and neurocognitive performance.

Post-Concussion Symptoms Rule: Derivation and Validation of a Clinical Decision Rule for Early Prediction of Persistent Symptoms after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common problem. Depending on diagnostic criteria, 13 to 62% of those patients develop persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). The main objective of this prospective multi-center study is to derive and validate a clinical decision rule (CDR) for the early prediction of PPCS. Patients aged ≥14 years were included if they presented to one of our seven participating emergency departments (EDs) within 24 h of an mTBI. Clinical data were collected in the ED, and symptom evolution was assessed at 7, 30 and 90 days post-injury using the Rivermead Post-Concussion Questionnaire (RPQ). The primary outcome was PPCS at 90 days after mTBI. A predictive model called the Post-Concussion Symptoms Rule (PoCS Rule) was developed using the methodological standards for CDR. Of the 1083 analyzed patients (471 and 612 for the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively), 15.6% had PPCS. The final model included the following factors assessed in the ED: age, sex, history of prior TBI or mental health disorder, headache in ED, cervical sprain and hemorrhage on computed tomography. The 7-day follow-up identified additional risk factors: headaches, sleep disturbance, fatigue, sensitivity to light, and RPQ ≥21. The PoCS Rule had a sensitivity of 91.4% and 89.6%, a specificity of 53.8% and 44.7% and a negative predictive value of 97.2% and 95.8% in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The PoCS Rule will help emergency physicians quickly stratify the risk of PPCS in mTBI patients and better plan post-discharge resources.

Micro-RNA levels and symptom profile after mild traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal cohort study

Micro riboneucleic acids (miRNAs) may be transcribed after brain injury and be detectable in plasma. This study aimed to assess the discriminative ability of seven miRNAs in plasma to differentiate between patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and healthy controls. Changes in miRNA levels over 28 days were compared to changes in self-reported symptom profile. This was a prospective cohort study with longitudinal measurements of miRNA levels and symptom self-report. The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire (RPQ) was used to determine symptom severity. Mean normalised expression ratios (NER) of miRNAs at day 0 between mTBI and healthy controls were compared. An analysis of response profiles compared the response over time of miRNA species with RPQ symptom severity. miRNA levels of subjects who were defined to have "recovered" on Day 7 and 28 were compared to "non-recovered" subjects. There were 28 mTBI patients and 30 healthy controls included for analysis. Symptom severity was significantly higher on the day of injury among mTBI subjects (p < 0.001), and miRNA 32-5p levels were also higher (p = 0.009). Change of miRNA levels were similar to RPQ change at Day 7, but significantly different at Day 28. Differences were observed among miRNA levels of recovered subjects. This study demonstrated differences in miRNA levels among mTBI subjects compared to healthy controls and different miRNA levels among those who had recovered compared to those reporting symptoms. The change in profiles of miRNAs was different to symptom severity, suggesting that the two measures reflect different aspects of brain injury and recovery.

Influence of concomitant injuries on post-concussion symptoms after a mild traumatic brain injury - a prospective multicentre cohort study

Objectives: To compare post-concussion symptoms (PCS) and return to normal activities between mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) patients with or without concomitant injuries at 7-and 90 days post-mTBI.Methods: Design: Sub-analysis of a multicentre prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

patients with mTBI from 7 Canadian Emergency Departments.

PROCEDURE

Research assistants conducted telephone follow-ups using the Rivermead Postconcussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) at 7-, 30- and 90 days post-mTBI.

MAIN OUTCOME

Presence of PCS (RPQ: ≥3 symptoms) at 90 days.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

RPQ score ≥21, prevalence of individual RPQ symptoms and patients' return to normal activities, at 7- and 90-days. Adjusted risk ratios (RR) were calculated.Results: 1725 mTBI patients were included and 1055 (61.1%) had concomitant injuries. Patients with concomitant injuries were at higher risk of having ≥3 symptoms on the RPQ (RR:1.26 [95% CI 1.01-1.58]) at 90 days. They were also at higher risk of experiencing specific symptoms (dizziness, fatigue, headaches and taking longer to think) and of non-return to their normal activities (RR:2.11 [95% CI 1.30-3.45]).Conclusion: Patients with concomitant injuries have slightly more PCS and seemed to be at higher risk of non-return to their normal activities 90 days, compared to patients without concomitant injuries.

Symptom recovery and the relationship between post-injury symptom scores and neurocognitive performance in athletes with sport-related concussion

Introduction

A multi-domain approach to concussion assessment has been recommended that includes self-reported symptom severity in addition to neurocognitive tests and measures of postural stability. The relationship between subjective self-reported symptoms and objective measures of cognitive function in the post-injury state is not well understood. The aims of the study were to determine symptom severity throughout the post-injury continuum of care and the association between symptom severity and performance on measures of neurocognitive function.

Methods

An observational cohort study was conducted on 1257 high school and collegiate athletes (67% male and 33% female) who had sustained a concussion. Student-athletes were included in the study if they had a healthy baseline assessment and at least one follow-up injury assessment utilizing the Cleveland Clinic Concussion Application (C3 App). Symptom severity was assessed during the acute (0–7 days post-injury), subacute (8–20 days post-injury), and post-concussive (≥21 days post-injury) phases. Neurocognitive performance was assessed using the following measures: Simple Reaction Time (SRT), Choice Reaction Time (CRT), Processing Speed Test (PST), Trail Making Test A (TMT-A), and Trail Making Test B (TMT-B). To determine the relationship between symptom severity and neurocognitive test performance, athletes were stratified into two groups for comparison: symptom score ≤7 or >7, utilizing the 27-item graded symptom checklist within the C3 App. Neurocognitive performance was analyzed with separate linear mixed effect models for each module to compare within-phase differences. Significance for each module at each phase was tested at P < .05 and adjusted for multiple comparisons.

Results

Median symptom severity during the acute post-injury phase was 10 declining to 2 during the subacute and post-concussive phases. Performance on each of the C3 App modules (SRT, CRT, PST, Trails A, and Trails B) were significantly better in athletes reporting a symptom score of ≤7 compared to those reporting a symptom score >7 at each of the post-injury phases (P < 0.05 on all comparisons).

Conclusions

Symptomatic athletes performed worse on all measures of neurocognitive function, regardless of time from injury. While symptoms alone should not be used to determine recovery, our data indicate that symptom severity may aide in deciding when to initiate post-injury neurocognitive testing to determine readiness for treatment progression.

Soccer heading and subclinical neuropsychiatric symptomatology in professional soccer players

Objectives

To evaluate the association between postconcussive symptomatology and heading in professional soccer players, overcoming the bias of self-reported exposure, we evaluated several clinical neuropsychiatric symptoms using questionnaires after a thorough objective follow-up of players’ heading exposure throughout an entire season.

Methods

We collected heading data for all Israeli Premier League players for an entire season using a web-based platform for performance analysis, which enabled us to quantify the exact number of headers per player. Players filled out questionnaires regarding postconcussion symptoms, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. We tested the association between the number of headers and each outcome using a negative binomial regression corrected for the hours played.

Results

A total of 159 players were included, of whom 79 were considered in the high heading exposure group (49%), defined as more than median number of headings (1.34 per game hour). Among players without any past head injury, those with higher heading exposure were less likely to have postconcussion symptoms compared with players with low heading exposure (relative risk [RR] per heading per hour 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.912–0.963). Players with high heading exposure had fewer depression symptoms (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.961–0.997), anxiety (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.958–0.997), and sleep disorders (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.961–0.996).

Conclusion

Professional soccer players with high heading rate do not display higher postconcussive symptomatology severity. Symptoms among players with low heading exposure might be explained by low resilience, possibly associated with an inferior heading technique. Alternatively, it can reflect heading-avoidant behavior.

The concussion recovery questionnaire (CORE-Q): conceptual model development and item generation of a concussion-specific measure of functional status

Introduction: Defining and measuring limitations in functional status post-concussion has been challenging, as generic measures do not accurately reflect issues most relevant to adults with persistent post-concussion symptoms.Purpose: To develop a new concussion-specific measure of functional status for use in clinical practice and intervention trials.Method: We developed a conceptual model of functioning based on concepts identified from a previous qualitative study with persons with concussion and clinicians. An initial set of questionnaire items was generated from the concepts, codes, and conceptual model. Items were refined using cognitive interviews elicit feedback on their relevance and acceptability.Results: We developed an initial set of 145 items categorized by concepts that were reduced to 50. Our final item set resulted in the COncussion REcovery Questionnaire, which contains a total of 53 items split into 3 separate scales: the Post-Concussion Functional Scale, Concussion Modifiers Scale, and Global Functional Recovery Scale.Conclusion: The new Concussion Recovery Questionnaire is a self-reported measure of functional status for monitoring outcomes in clinical practice and in clinical intervention trials following concussion. Further studies are necessary to provide evidence of the measure's psychometric properties and to determine the questionnaire's ability to facilitate clinical decision-making.

A qualitative study of persons with persistent postconcussion symptoms and clinicians with concussion expertise to inform the development of a concussion-specific questionnaire

PURPOSE

To explore the experiences of adults with persistent postconcussion symptoms and clinicians to inform the development of a concussion-specific questionnaire.

METHODS

Using a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted 10 focus groups with persons with persistent post-concussion symptoms (n = 35; female 66%; age range 19.0-65.1 years) and semi-structured interviews with clinicians with concussion expertise (n = 16; female 81%). Thematic analysis was used to identify themes within their narratives. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provided a standardized language for coding.

RESULTS

Three overarching themes emerged from the data: Functioning, Environmental and Personal Factors, and Capacity. Functioning mapped closely onto Activities and Participation within the ICF. Contextual factors, both Environmental and Personal, had a significant influence on functioning following concussion. Capacity was a unique finding that described how long a person is able to engage in a task before the onset or worsening of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Capacity is fundamental to measuring limitations in functioning based on symptom threshold and time to recovery. The impact of contextual factors on functioning needs to be considered on a continuum from barrier to facilitator. These findings provide the basis for the development of a concussion-specific questionnaire.Implications for RehabilitationClinicians should explore with their patients limitations across all areas of functioning.Clinicians should explore and address support and relationships, attitudes of others, access to affordable and high-quality healthcare, coping strategies, and a patient's own knowledge of concussion as these influence functioning.Current guidelines recommend a symptom-based approach to concussion management, whereas persons with concussion emphasize the importance of measuring functional capacity.Capacity is defined as the length of time one can perform a task before symptom onset, primarily fatigue.Currently, no concussion-specific measure of functioning exists.

Military-Specific Normative Data for Cognitive and Motor Single- and Dual-Task Assessments for Use in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Assessment

INTRODUCTION

Military personnel and civilian athletes are both at risk for mild traumatic brain injury. However, these groups are unique in their training and typical daily activities. A fundamental gap in the evaluation of military personnel following mild traumatic brain injury is the lack of military-specific normative reference data. This project aimed to determine if a separate normative sample should be used for military personnel on their performance of the Cleveland Clinic Concussion application and a recently developed dual-task module.

METHODS

Data were collected from healthy military personnel (n = 305) and civilians (n = 281) 18 to 30 years of age. Participants completed the following assessments: simple and choice reaction time, Trail Making tests A&B, processing speed test, single-task postural stability, single-task cognitive assessment, and dual-task assessment.

RESULTS

Civilian participants outperformed military service members on all cognitive tasks under single- and dual-task conditions (P ≤ 0.04). The military group outperformed civilians on all postural stability tasks under single- and dual-task conditions (P ≤ 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Differences in cognitive performance and postural stability measures may be influenced by demographic differences between military and civilian cohorts. Thus, military-specific normative datasets must be established to optimize clinical interpretation of Cleveland Clinic Concussion assessments.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Correlates of Self-Reported Sleep Quality and Depression Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are a significant social, sport, and military health issue. In spite of advances in the clinical management of these injuries, the underlying pathophysiology is not well-understood. There is a critical need to advance objective biomarkers, allowing the identification and tracking of the long-term evolution of changes resulting from mTBI. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) allows for the assessment of white-matter properties in the brain and shows promise as a suitable biomarker of mTBI pathophysiology. Methods: 34 individuals within a year of an mTBI (age: 24.4 ± 7.4) and 18 individuals with no history of mTBI (age: 23.2 ± 3.4) participated in this study. Participants completed self-report measures related to functional outcomes, psychological health, post-injury symptoms, and sleep, and underwent a neuroimaging session that included DWI. Whole-brain white matter was skeletonized using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and compared between groups as well as correlated within-group with the self-report measures. Results: There were no statistically significant anatomical differences between the two groups. After controlling for time since injury, fractional anisotropy (FA) demonstrated a negative correlation with sleep quality scores (higher FA was associated with better sleep quality) and increasing depressive symptoms in the mTBI participants. Conversely, mean (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) demonstrated positive correlations with sleep quality scores (higher RD was associated with worse sleep quality) and increasing depressive symptoms. These correlations were observed bilaterally in the internal capsule (anterior and posterior limbs), corona radiata (anterior and superior), fornix, and superior fronto-occipital fasciculi. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the clinical presentation of mTBI, particularly with respect to depression and sleep, is associated with reduced white-matter integrity in multiple areas of the brain, even after controlling for time since injury. These areas are generally associated not only with sleep and emotion regulation but also cognition. Consequently, the onset of depression and sleep dysfunction as well as cognitive impairments following mTBI may be closely related to each other and to white-matter integrity throughout the brain.

Longitudinal study of a NoGo-P3 event-related potential component following mild traumatic brain injury in adults

BACKGROUND

Event-related potentials have repeatedly revealed electrophysiological markers of cognitive dysfunction associated with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) and may represent a sensitive tool to guide cognitive rehabilitative interventions. We previously found patients with symptomatic MTBI characterized by smaller P300 (or P3) wave amplitudes in a NoGo-P3 subcomponent in the acute phase of the injury. The goal of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether this early NoGo-P3 subcomponent differs over time in symptomatic MTBI patients and healthy controls.

METHODS

We included adults with a diagnosis of MTBI and individually matched healthy controls tested at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after the MTBI. Symptoms were assessed by the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire. NoGo-P3 was collected by using a cued Go/NoGo task and the relevant subcomponent was extracted by independent component analysis.

RESULTS

Among 53 adults with a diagnosis of MTBI and 53 controls, we included 35 with symptomatic MTBI and 35 matched healthy controls (18 females each group; mean age 34.06±13.15 and 34.26±12.98 years). Amplitudes for the early NoGo-P3 subcomponent were lower for symptomatic MTBI patients than controls (P<0.05) at 1 week post-injury. Furthermore, mixed ANOVA revealed a significant time by group interaction (P<0.05), so the effect of time differed for symptomatic MTBI patients and healthy controls. The amplitudes for MTBI patients normalized from 1 week to 3 months post-injury and were comparable to those of controls from 3 months to 1 year post-injury. However, amplitudes for 3 MTBI patients with particularly severe complaints 1 year post-injury did not normalize and were lower than those for the remaining MTBI sample (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Selected event-related potentials can be used as a sensitive and objective tool to illustrate the cognitive consequences of and recovery after MTBI.