Health-related quality of life and psychosocial consequences after mild traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the course of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional outcome parameters in children and adolescents with TBI. In addition, a neuropsychological screening instrument would be useful for routine clinical care.


OBJECTIVE
To describe health-related quality of life and psychosocial consequences following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
One chose a prospective, longitudinal design (two measurement time points). Methods included a telephone interview and a questionnaire, which was mailed to the parents whose children (older than 4 years of age) were admitted (with TBI) to a collaborating hospital. In addition, a feasibility study for screening children for cognitive side effects, attention and memory tasks was conducted. A group of 59 parents filled out questionnaires assessing health-related quality of life (KINDL), behavioural problems (SDQ) and health status (FS-II-R). Ten families participated in the feasibility study.


RESULTS
Results indicated that HRQOL, behavioural problems and health status remained stable over time. Compared to the reference groups, no significant differences in HRQOL were noted. Thirty per cent of the children screened were classified as being cognitively impaired.


CONCLUSIONS
Mild TBI resulted in no decline in the children's health outcome after injury. The cognitive screening approach proved itself to be a useful instrument for routine clinical care.
Petersen
Corinna
C
Institute and Policlinics of Medical Psychology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. copeters@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Scherwath
Angela
A
Fink
Juliane
J
Koch
Uwe
U
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices