AIM: To systematically review existing empirical evidence concerning neuropsychological, psychosocial and academic outcomes following mild and moderate TBI during childhood and adolescence.
METHOD: The studies reviewed include data on 8553 children and adolescents from ages 0-18 that experienced mild and moderate TBIs. A literature search using MeSH terms for 'children' cross-referenced with terms associated with 'head injuries' and 'cognition' was conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL Plus and Scopus databases as well as other data sources to retrieve grey literature results. Articles published between 1 January 2008 and 22 April 2013 were included.
RESULTS: Fifty-five studies were included in the review, with multiple studies including information on both mild and moderate TBI; 46 studies focused on mild TBI outcomes and 22 studies focused on moderate TBI outcomes. The majority of outcomes were described as psychosocial (50%) or neuropsychological (40%); 51% of studies presented adverse outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that not all children with mild or moderate TBI recover without long-term problems. Few studies followed children and adolescents with mild TBIs for extended periods of time, although it is clinically important to monitor patients over time.