title: Cervical Spine Involvement in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review.
abstract: Background. There is a lack of scientific evidence in the literature on the involvement of the cervical spine in mTBI; however, its involvement is clinically accepted. Objective. This paper reviews evidence for the involvement of the cervical spine in mTBI symptoms, the mechanisms of injury, and the efficacy of therapy for cervical spine with concussion-related symptoms. Methods. A keyword search was conducted on PubMed, ICL, SportDiscus, PEDro, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases for articles published since 1990. The reference lists of articles meeting the criteria (original data articles, literature reviews, and clinical guidelines) were also searched in the same databases. Results. 4,854 records were screened and 43 articles were retained. Those articles were used to describe different subjects such as mTBI's signs and symptoms, mechanisms of injury, and treatments of the cervical spine. Conclusions. The hypothesis of cervical spine involvement in post-mTBI symptoms and in PCS (postconcussion syndrome) is supported by increasing evidence and is widely accepted clinically. For the management and treatment of mTBIs, few articles were available in the literature, and relevant studies showed interesting results about manual therapy and exercises as efficient tools for health care practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Kinetics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada G9A 5H7; Research Group on Neuromusculoskeletal Dysfunctions (GRAN), UQTR, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada G9A 5H7.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Cortex Médecine et Réadaptation Concussion Clinic, Quebec City, QC, Canada G1W 0C5; Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada G1V 0A6.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevin
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Kinetics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada G9A 5H7; Research Group on Neuromusculoskeletal Dysfunctions (GRAN), UQTR, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada G9A 5H7; Cortex Médecine et Réadaptation Concussion Clinic, Quebec City, QC, Canada G1W 0C5; Research Center in Neuropsychology and Cognition (CERNEC), Montreal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2554-9273
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fait