Improving subacute management of post concussion symptoms: a pilot study of the Melbourne Paediatric Concussion Scale parent report

Gavin A Davis; Vanessa C Rausa; Franz E Babl; Katie Davies; Michael Takagi; Alison Crichton; Audrey McKinlay; Nicholas Anderson; Stephen Jc Hearps; Cathriona Clarke; Remy Pugh; Kevin Dunne; Peter Barnett; Vicki Anderson

doi:10.2217/cnc-2021-0007

Improving subacute management of post concussion symptoms: a pilot study of the Melbourne Paediatric Concussion Scale parent report

Concussion. 2020 Jun 10;7(1):CNC97. doi: 10.2217/cnc-2021-0007. eCollection 2022 May.

Authors

Gavin A Davis^{1

2}, Vanessa C Rausa¹, Franz E Babl^{1

3

4}, Katie Davies¹, Michael Takagi^{1

5}, Alison Crichton¹, Audrey McKinlay^{1

6}, Nicholas Anderson¹, Stephen Jc Hearps¹, Cathriona Clarke¹, Remy Pugh¹, Kevin Dunne^{1

3

7}, Peter Barnett^{1

3

4}, Vicki Anderson^{1

3

8}

Affiliations

¹ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Austin Hospital, 3084, and Cabrini Hospital, 3144, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
⁴ Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
⁵ School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3052, and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Ilam, 8041, New Zealand.
⁷ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
⁸ Psychology Service, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.

Abstract

Aim: To pilot a modification of the Post Concussion Symptom Inventory, the Melbourne Paediatric Concussion Scale (MPCS) and examine its clinical utility.

Materials & methods: A total of 40 families of concussed children, aged 8-18 years, were recruited from the emergency department. Parent responses to the MPCS in the emergency department and 2-weeks post injury determined child symptomatic status. Association between MPCS symptom endorsement and symptomatic group status was examined.

Results: All additional MPCS items were endorsed by at least 25% of the parents of symptomatic children at 2 weeks. MPCS items were classified into nine symptom domains, with most falling in mood, neurological, autonomic and vestibular domains.

Conclusion: The additional items and domain classifications in the MPCS have the potential to improve subacute diagnostic precision, monitoring of clinical recovery and identification of appropriate interventions post pediatric concussion.

Keywords: assessment; concussion; pediatric; post concussion symptoms.