title: Systematic search and review procedures: results of the International Collaboration on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To update the last best-evidence synthesis conducted by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Neurotrauma, Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation in 2002; and to describe the course, identify prognostic factors, determine long-term sequelae, identify effects of interventions for mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), identify knowledge gaps in the literature, and make recommendations for future research.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and SPORTDiscus were searched between 2001 and 2012. Inclusion criteria included published peer-reviewed articles in English and 5 other languages. References were also identified from relevant reviews and meta-analyses and the bibliographies of eligible articles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled trials and cohort and case-control studies were selected according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Studies had to have at least 30 MTBI cases and assess outcomes relevant to prognosis after MTBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible studies were critically appraised using modified Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria. Two reviewers independently reviewed each study and extracted data from accepted articles (ie, with a low risk of bias) into evidence tables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The evidence was synthesized qualitatively according to modified SIGN criteria and prioritized according to design as exploratory or confirmatory. The evidence was organized into separate articles according to population (eg, adults, children, and athletes) and outcomes (eg, risk of dementia after MTBI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After 77,914 records were screened, 299 articles were eligible and reviewed. Of these, 101 (34%) were accepted as scientifically admissible and form the basis of our findings, which are organized into 10 articles in this supplement. These reviews present the best available evidence on MTBI prognosis, but more research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care and Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: ccancell@uhnresearch.ca.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cancelliere
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care and Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care and Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; University of Ontario Institute of Technology-Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Centre for the Study of Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care and Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Cesar A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hincapié
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Craniocerebral trauma; Disabled persons; Morbidity; Prognosis; Recovery of function; Rehabilitation