Robust RT deficits were observed acutely following concussion .
Minimal magnitude differences were noted when comparing between- and within-subject effects , suggesting that pre-injury baselines may not add clinical value in determining post-injury RT impairment .
RT deficits persisted up till the intermediate-term ( 21–59 days post-injury ) timeframe and indicate lingering deficits exist .
Mean effect size differences were observed between RT measure types and computerized neurocognitive testing platforms ; however , all categories displayed negative effects consistent with impaired RT following concussion .
Reaction time ( RT ) deficits are reported following concussion , but it is unknown when these deficits normalize to pre-injury status .
It is also unclear how factors such as RT measurement technique and participant characteristics influence post-concussion RT .
The purpose of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to ( 1 ) characterize acute post-concussion ( 0–3 days ) RT impairments , ( 2 ) examine RT recovery over time , and ( 3 ) explore moderating factors related to acute RT impairment following concussion .
Acute Clinical Predictors of Symptom Recovery in Emergency Department Patients with Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries.
There is a subset of patients with mild traumatic brain injury ( mTBI ) who report persistent symptoms that impair their functioning and quality of life . Being able to predict which patients will experience prolonged symptom recovery would help clinicians target re sources for clinical follow-up to those most in need , and would facilitate research to develop precision medicine treatments for mTBI . The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of symptom recovery in a prospect i ve sample of emergency department trauma patients with either mTBI or non-mTBI injuries . Subjects were examined at several time points from within 72 h to 45 days post-injury . We quantified and compared the value of a variety of demographic , injury , and clinical assessment ( symptom , neurocognitive ) variables for predicting self-reported symptom duration in both mTBI ( n = 89 ) and trauma control ( n = 73 ) patients . Several injury-related and neuropsychological variables assessed acutely ( < 72 h ) post-injury predicted symptom duration , particularly loss of consciousness ( mTBI group ) , acute somatic symptom burden ( both groups ) , and acute reaction time ( both groups ) , with reasonably good model fit when including all of these variables ( area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [ AUC ] = 0.76 ) . Incorporating self-reported litigation involvement modestly increased prediction further ( AUC = 0.80 ) . The results highlight the multifactorial nature of mTBI recovery , and injury recovery more generally , and the need to incorporate a variety of variables to achieve adequate prediction . Further research to improve this model and vali date it in new and more diverse trauma sample s will be useful to build a neurobiopsychosocial model of recovery that informs treatment development
Robust RT deficits were observed acutely following concussion .
Minimal magnitude differences were noted when comparing between- and within-subject effects , suggesting that pre-injury baselines may not add clinical value in determining post-injury RT impairment .
RT deficits persisted up till the intermediate-term ( 21–59 days post-injury ) timeframe and indicate lingering deficits exist .
Mean effect size differences were observed between RT measure types and computerized neurocognitive testing platforms ; however , all categories displayed negative effects consistent with impaired RT following concussion .
Reaction time ( RT ) deficits are reported following concussion , but it is unknown when these deficits normalize to pre-injury status .
It is also unclear how factors such as RT measurement technique and participant characteristics influence post-concussion RT .
The purpose of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to ( 1 ) characterize acute post-concussion ( 0–3 days ) RT impairments , ( 2 ) examine RT recovery over time , and ( 3 ) explore moderating factors related to acute RT impairment following concussion .