For Immediate Release
Is MRI Needed in Children with a Sports-Related Concussion?
Contact: Kathryn Ryan
914-740-2250
kryan@liebertpub.com
New Rochelle, NY, August 23, 2017—A new study reviewed more than 5 years of records of pediatric patients treated for sports concussion, the most common form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among children, to determine if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed structural changes to the brain that may be related to persistent symptoms. The findings are reported in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Neurotrauma website until September 23, 2017.
Robert Bonow, MD and a team of researchers from University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, coauthored the article entitled “Prevalence of Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Children with Persistent Symptoms after Pediatric Sports-Related Concussion.”
Structural injury is uncommon in sports concussion in children, although nearly 13% of the children in this study underwent MRI. Whereas in adults concussion symptoms tend to resolve within several days, post-concussive effects such as headaches, irritability, and cognitive difficulties may persist for a month or more in about 25-30% of children. The current study indicated that MRI in children with persistent symptoms after concussion rarely identified brain injury.
“From the Journal’s perspective this is an important communication,” says John T. Povlishock, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Neurotrauma and Professor, Medical College of Virginia Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. “It provides important guidance for those clinicians caring for children with persistent symptoms of concussion. The large sample size and the rigor of the retrospective analyses strongly support the validity of the study’s finding that only a small fraction of these children present with routine MRI-detectable intracranial lesions. While not endorsing a prescriptive approach, this report does provide important insight for those clinicians considering conventional MRI in children with persistent concussive symptoms.”
About the Journal
Journal of Neurotrauma is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online that focuses on the latest advances in the clinical and laboratory investigation of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Emphasis is on the basic pathobiology of injury to the nervous system, and the papers and reviews evaluate preclinical and clinical trials targeted at improving the early management and long-term care and recovery of patients with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma is the official journal of the National Neurotrauma Society and the International Neurotrauma Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Neurotrauma website.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, Brain Connectivity, and Tissue Engineering. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.