Child and parent responses to a brain injury screening questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
To determine, by using a Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), in a sample of urban public school students, what proportion of children are at risk for having sustained a brain injury, to measure the incidence of blows to the head and alterations in mental status, and to determine whether children and parents report differently on the BISQ.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Research facility and community.


METHODS
A total of 137 urban students (age range, 12-19y) of varied ethnicity, who were recruited in 2 public schools, and their parents.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
The BISQ as completed by children and parents.


RESULTS
Fourteen children (10%) were at risk for having sustained a brain injury because they or their parents reported an alteration in mental status and 5 or more symptoms sensitive and specific to traumatic brain injury. Most children were reported to have experienced blows to the head, and 50% were reported to have experienced an alteration in mental status. In all areas, no significant differences were found between parent and child reports.


CONCLUSIONS
There may be significant numbers of children with undetected brain injury in schools. The BISQ is a useful tool to identify children at risk for having sustained a brain injury. Histories should be obtained from parents and children who are older than 11 years when screening children for brain injury.
Cantor
Joshua B
JB
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. joshua.cantor@mssm.edu
Gordon
Wayne A
WA
Schwartz
Michael E
ME
Charatz
Heather J
HJ
Ashman
Teresa A
TA
Abramowitz
Steven
S
D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014474:Unconsciousness