title: Quality of life in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury and its relationship to postconcussive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and injury-related outcomes such as postconcussive symptoms (PCS) may influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated HRQOL in 186 8- to 15-year-old children with mild TBI and 99 children with orthopedic injuries (OI). Parents rated the frequency and severity of PCS at an initial assessment within 2-weeks postinjury and rated HRQOL at 3- and 12-months postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mild TBI and OI groups did not differ in psychosocial HRQOL, but the mild TBI group showed lower physical HRQOL at the 12-month follow-up. Somatic PCS were a significant predictor of physical HRQOL over time, and both cognitive and somatic PCS were significant predictors of psychosocial HRQOL over time. Children with higher PCS at the initial assessment had lower HRQOL scores at later time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Effective management of PCS may be associated with improvements in HRQOL following pediatric mild TBI.
authors: Department of Psychology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Dr, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Moran
authors: H Gerry
authors: HG
authors: Taylor
authors: Jerome
authors: J
authors: Rusin
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bangert
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: Dietrich
authors: Kathryn E
authors: KE
authors: Nuss
authors: Martha
authors: M
authors: Wright
authors: Nori
authors: N
authors: Minich
authors: Keith O
authors: KO
authors: Yeates
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*