Prognosis for mild traumatic brain injury: results of the WHO Collaborating Centre Task Force on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
We searched the literature on the epidemiology, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and costs of mild traumatic brain injury. Of 428 studies related to prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury, 120 (28%) were accepted after critical review. These comprise our best-evidence synthesis on prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury. There was consistent and methodologically sound evidence that children's prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury is good, with quick resolution of symptoms and little evidence of residual cognitive, behavioural or academic deficits. For adults, cognitive deficits and symptoms are common in the acute stage, and the majority of studies report recovery for most within 3-12 months. Where symptoms persist, compensation/litigation is a factor, but there is little consistent evidence for other predictors. The literature on this area is of varying quality and causal inferences are often mistakenly drawn from cross-sectional studies.
Carroll
Linda J
LJ
Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. lcarroll@ualberta.ca
Cassidy
J David
JD
Peloso
Paul M
PM
Borg
Jörgen
J
von Holst
Hans
H
Holm
Lena
L
Paniak
Chris
C
Pépin
Michel
M
D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014944:World Health Organization