title: Long term outcome following mild traumatic brain injury in Moroccan patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the symptoms of chronic post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and to investigate the relationship between the persistence of these symptoms and different aspects of social life (return to work, quality of life, sport and leisure activities and family relationships) in Moroccan patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), one year after the trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two adult patients who sustained MTBI were reviewed one year after trauma. We investigated the persistence of PCS by using the "Problem Checklist" questionnaire. We also assessed their quality of life using a visual analogue scale, and noted the changes in employment status, social activities and family relationships. Then, we examined whether there were significant relationships between these different data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than half of the patients (n=23, 54.8%) were found with persistent post-concussion symptoms at one year post-injury. Chronic PCS was significantly more common in married persons (p=0.008) and significantly related to both non return to work (p≤0.01), and QoL deterioration (p≤0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, a large proportion of persons who sustained a MTBI experienced persistent symptoms up to one year after trauma. MTBI might have significant and lasting impact on the quality of life, which is to be verified by further studies.
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco. fourtmary@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fourtassi
authors.forename: Abderrazak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hajjioui
authors.forename: Abdessamad El
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ouahabi
authors.forename: Hind
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benmassaoud
authors.forename: Najia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hajjaj-Hassouni
authors.forename: Abdeslam El
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Khamlichi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D057189:Checklist; D003710:Demography; D004651:Employment; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000453:epidemiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013177:Sports; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult