Kids with persistent symptoms months after a concussion have lower quality of life than kids who have recovered, but even kids who recovered quickly may still struggle, according to a new Canadian study. Kids with postconcussion syndrome scored about 10 points lower in overall quality of life, with a mean score of 70, compared with those who had recovered from a concussion quickly and had a mean score of 80.3, the study team reports in JAMA Pediatrics. These kids also had lower scores on all the quality of life subcategories at four, eight and 12 weeks.
Even kids who recovered quickly from a concussion averaged scores three to four points lower than normal scores for healthy kids who haven’t had a concussion, the study found. School-related functioning remained significantly lower for kids who recovered from concussions at all the time points, researchers note.