Academic dysfunction after a concussion among US high school and college students

E.B. Wasserman, J.J. Bazarian, M. Mapstone, R. Block and E. Van Wijngaarden

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 7, 1247-1253

Abstract: Objectives. To determine whether concussed students experience greater academic dysfunction than students who sustain other injuries. Methods. We conducted a prospective cohort study from September 2013 through January 2015 involving high school and college students who visited 3 emergency departments in the Rochester, New York, area. Using telephone surveys, we compared self-reported academic dysfunction between 70 students with concussions and a comparison group of 108 students with extremity injuries at 1 week and 1 month after injury. Results. At 1 week after injury, academic dysfunction scores were approximately 16 points higher (b = 16.20; 95% confidence interval = 6.39, 26.00) on a 174-point scale in the concussed group than in the extremity injury group. Although there were no differences overall at 1-month after injury, female students in the concussion group and those with a history of 2 or more prior concussions were more likely to report academic dysfunction. Conclusions. Our results showed academic dysfunction among concussed students, especially female students and those with multiple prior concussions, 1 week after their injury. Such effects appeared to largely resolve after 1 month. Our findings support the need for academic adjustments for concussed students.

Keywords: adolescent; brain concussion; Cognition Disorders; complication; female; human; male; neuropsychological test; New York; prospective study; psychology; sex ratio; sport injury; student; time factor, Adolescent; Athletic Injuries; Brain Concussion; Cognition Disorders; Female; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; New York; Prospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Students; Time Factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303154_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303154

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