Abstract
Approximately 10–30% of athletes with concussion will experience symptoms that last beyond the expected recovery time period (2 weeks for adults and 4 weeks for children). Persistent post-concussion symptoms are not caused by a single pathological process within the brain but rather a collection of a variety of symptoms that are often complicated by pre-existing and noninjury factors. Athletes with persistent symptoms require a multidisciplinary, symptom-targeted treatment approach that can include cervical spine rehabilitation, sub-symptom threshold exercise training, vestibular and visual therapy, psychological cognitive behavioral therapy, academic/work adjustments, lifestyle changes involving sleep hygiene, and nutrition/hydration. With proper treatment, most athletes with persistent symptoms will recover completely without any long-term sequelae. A very small proportion, however, may experience long-term deficits. Further research is needed examining the potential long-term effects of multiple concussions, especially those that are associated with prolonged recovery.
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Turner, J., LaBella, C.R. (2020). Persistent Post-concussion Symptoms and Long-Term Sequelae. In: Hsu, W., Jenkins, T. (eds) Spinal Conditions in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26207-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26207-5_6
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