Sleep problems, fatigue and attention difficulties in the weeks after a child’s concussion injury could be a sign of reduced brain function and decreased grey matter. In the MRI scans of children with persistent concussion symptoms, poor sleep was linked to decreases in brain grey matter and reduced brain function. Identifying decreases in brain function can allow us to predict if a child will recover properly. This knowledge can help clinicians ensure a child receives targeted rehabilitation such as cognitive behaviour therapy, medication to improve sleep, or safe and new emerging therapies such as non-invasive brain stimulation to potentially reduce symptoms.
Researchers were able to predict with 86 per cent accuracy how decreases in brain function impacted recovery two months post-concussion.
Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191202102046.htm