Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion (eBook)

Between the growing numbers of children and adolescents playing sports and the increased attention to head injuries by the larger sports community and the general public, pediatric concussions are emerging as a major concern. And as practitioners are seeing more young clients with head injuries, questions arise about age-appropriate assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and return to activity. Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes offers evidence-based guidelines where few previously existed. This comprehensive volume clearly explains the effects of traumatic injury on the developing brain in sports- and non-sports-related contexts, and establishes a framework for immediate and long-term management, especially the crucial first 24 hours. Chapters provide a basic grounding in its subject with a history of concussion as a medical entity and a review of definitional and classification issues, take the reader through the steps of a neuropsychological evaluation, pinpoint post-injury issues, and offer strategies for the prevention of further or future injury. Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes serves as both educational resource and practical framework for a wide array of professionals, including neuropsychologists, sports medicine physicians, child psychologists and psychiatrists, pediatric and family physicians, athletic trainers, social workers, and educators.

Jennifer Apps, Ph.D., is assistant professor, pediatric neuropsychologist, and assistant director for research in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Apps specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children with comorbid emotional and neurological disorders. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and completed post-doctoral training at Children's Hospital of Dallas. Her primary research interests are in the areas of pediatric sports-related concussions and mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder. She has published articles in professional journals, book chapters, frequently gives both professional and educational lectures on pediatric mental health issues, and most recently co-edited her first book for professionals and parents Pediatric Neuropsychology Case Studies: From the Exceptional to the Commonplace (Springer, in press, 2009)

---

Among information available for individuals interested in concussions in children are several comprehensive books reviewing mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-concussion syndrome (PCS), and even sports-related concussions. Volumes also exist addressing the broad range of mild to severe TBI in children with most attention in the moderate to severe range. However, for individuals with specific questions about the status of concussions as a form of mild TBI in the pediatric population, the information is fragmented. Oftentimes, chapters must be selected from larger works, information ascertained from an exhaustive review of research literature, or even pieced together from massive amounts of information available on the internet. This book offers the first centralized, comprehensive resource about concussions in the pediatric population. By providing the most up-to-date review of the practical aspects of these injuries in children, it will serve as a resource for not only practitioners and clinicians but also families, teachers, and therapists working with children. This book will provide a review of the status of the current literature and research in assessing, diagnosing, and clinically managing pediatric concussions. Controversies in these areas will be reviewed in detail. Further, ethical issues surrounding the identification and management of these injuries will also be a focus. By providing authoritative coverage of the research in children, readers will be guided through translating research into the current state of practice.By breaking this book into sections, the information will flow logically, providing a manageable format for readers to access. Each section will consist of clearly identified chapters, each addressing a salient aspect of the current research. Each chapter, ranging from 20 to 30 pages in manuscript length, will utilize tables and figures as needed, provide useful guides and tools when available, and conclude with summary statements highlighting the prominent findings. Additionally, individual chapters will contain references, making accessing additional resources convenient for the reader. References will also be accumulated in an appendix at the end of the book. The first section will review the history of concussions, providing a background of the development of the current state of knowledge. In addition, basic terminology will be reviewed. In the second section, the causes of concussions in children will be reviewed. This will include a scientific review of the current state of research theoretically explaining the potential causes of concussions. Section three will review the assessment of symptoms of concussion. This will include assessment and symptom expression throughout time following an injury, as well as the most recent information on the use of various technological approaches. The fourth and final section will focus on treatment and recovery of children with concussions. This will include discussions of all aspects of a child's life impacted by these injuries within a developmental context unique to children. Additionally, ethical considerations will be given particular focus in the context of working with adults in the child's life and injury considerations across environments. Finally, consolidation the current status of research into the most recent thoughts on prevention of concussions will be reviewed. Table of Contents follows.