Contact Email: patrick.frostbellgowan@nih.gov
Location:
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
North Bethesda, Maryland
United States
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Currently, several large longitudinal studies are aimed at better understanding the behavioral and physiological sequelae of concussion in military, civilian and athletic populations. These studies are designed to provide insight into the acute, sub-acute and chronic course of recovery from concussion. Though these efforts are likely to provide important insights for understanding the course of disease following concussion, none are focused on pediatric populations (i.e., pre-high school). Consequently, a considerable knowledge gap exists with regarding the course of recovery from concussion during critical neurodevelopmental stages. Because the rate of reported pediatric concussions has nearly doubled in the past decade, this knowledge gap presents a unique and compelling need for further research on pediatric concussion and its sequelae. Each year, an estimated 750,000 U.S. emergency department visits are accounted for by youth who present with symptoms of concussion. While most children experience a reduction in symptoms within 2 weeks of injury, up to 33% experience persistent affective, cognitive, somatic, and/or behavioral symptoms more than 28 days after injury. Despite calls from medical, athletic and public communities, no objective markers exist for monitoring and prognosticating the course of recovery in pediatrics. In response, the NIH sponsored a two-day workshop attended by approximately 130 researchers, clinicians, patients, parents, advocates and other stakeholders. The purpose of the workshop was to outline the state of the science in pediatric concussion; develop a list of research priorities to expedite the accumulation of evidence-based knowledge regarding pediatric concussion diagnosis, prognosis and recovery; and, provide evidence-based practices that could be useful to parents, patients, medical professionals and other stakeholders. The workshop agenda was developed by an international group of concussion experts and program officials from participating NIH Institutes and Centers (See Appendix A). To best propagate the information from this meeting, NIH provided a live videocast that can now be viewed at: NIH Pediatric Concussion Workshop, Day 1 & Day 2