@article{ref1,
title="The age variable in childhood concussion management: a systematic review",
journal="Archives of clinical neuropsychology",
year="2018",
author="Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro and Davis, Gavin A. and Schatz, Philip",
volume="33",
number="4",
pages="417-426",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Sports-related concussion in young children has become a significant international public health issue. This paper reviews the research literature in an effort to shed light on the question, &quot;At what age should young children be managed differently than adults or older adolescents?&quot; METHOD: A systematic review, registered with PROSPERO and using PRISMA guidelines, was conducted rendering 37 sports concussion original research studies that examined age as a variable (5-18 years), and which met specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. <br><br>FINDINGS: There are no defined, evidence-based age groups for childhood concussion to substantiate differential management across the childhood and adolescent age span. There is evidence to support: (1) concussion may present differently across developmental stages; (2) with increasing age, adolescents may exhibit more symptoms from concussion; (3) the age range of 12-13 is the most frequently used cutoff point between younger and older children; (4) sports concussion research has classified the age variable in children in a number of manners: educational, developmental, sport level, or as a continuous variable, or matter of sample convenience; and (5) four general groupings of young versus pre-puberty child and early versus late adolescent are often utilized. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Due to limited measures and challenges of assessing younger children, current research presents a limited understanding of childhood concussion. Studies in children often lack explained rationales or theories behind age groupings or cutoffs. There is a need for studies dedicated to the question of how concussion varies developmentally from preschool through late adolescence to guide diagnosis and management.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0887-6177",
doi="10.1093/arclin/acx070",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acx070"
}