Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications

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    Improving subacute management of post concussion symptoms: a pilot study of the Melbourne Paediatric Concussion Scale parent report.
    Davis, GA ; Rausa, VC ; Babl, FE ; Davies, K ; Takagi, M ; Crichton, A ; McKinlay, A ; Anderson, N ; Hearps, SJ ; Clarke, C ; Pugh, R ; Dunne, K ; Barnett, P ; Anderson, V (Future Medicine Ltd, 2022-05)
    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.
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    Use of the sport concussion assessment tools in the emergency department to predict persistent post-concussive symptoms in children
    Bressan, S ; Clarke, CJ ; Anderson, V ; Takagi, M ; Hearps, SJC ; Rausa, V ; Anderson, N ; Doyle, M ; Dunne, K ; Oakley, E ; Davis, GA ; Babl, FE (WILEY, 2020-08)
    Aim The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool v3 (SCAT3) and its child version (ChildSCAT3) are composite tools including a symptom scale, a rapid cognitive assessment (standardised assessment of concussion (SAC)) and the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS). It is unclear whether their use for the acute assessment of paediatric concussion in the emergency department (ED) may help predict persistent post‐concussive symptoms (PPCS). We aim to assess the predictive value of the main SCAT3/ChildSCAT3 components for PPCS when applied in the ED. Methods A single‐site, prospective longitudinal cohort study of children aged 5–18 years assessed within 48 h of their concussion at the ED of a state‐wide tertiary paediatric hospital and followed up at the affiliated concussion clinic, between November 2013 and August 2017. PPCS was defined as ≥2 new or worsening symptoms at 1 month post‐injury using the Post‐Concussive Symptom Inventory. Results Of the 370 children enrolled, 213 (57.7% <13 years old) provided complete data. Of these, 34.7% had PPCS at 1 month post‐injury (38.2% of children <13 years and 30.0% ≥13 years of age, P = 0.272). The adjusted ORs from multiple logistic regression models, for number and severity of symptoms, and for the SAC and mBESS performance in both the ChildSCAT3/SCAT3, were all not significant. The area under the curve of receiver operator characteristic curves for all analysed ChildSCAT3/SCAT3 components was below 0.6. Conclusions Although SCAT3 and ChildSCAT3 are recommended tools to assist with concussion diagnosis and monitoring of patient recovery, their use in the ED does not seem to help predict PPCS.
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    Child concussion recognition and recovery: a community delivered, evidenced-based solution
    Clarke, C ; Anderson, V ; Babl, FE ; Rausa, VC ; Davis, GA ; Barnett, P ; Crichton, A ; Takagi, M ; Hearps, SJC ; Davies, K ; McKinlay, A ; Anderson, N ; Kwan, V ; Kanagalingam, S ; Ceregra, G ; Petris, A ; Darling, S ; Clifton, P ; Harcourt, P (AME PUBL CO, 2020-05)
    Pediatric concussion is a growing health concern. Concussion is generally poorly understood within the community. Many parents are unaware of the signs and varying symptoms of concussion. Despite the existence of concussion management and return to play guidelines, few parents are aware of how to manage their child's recovery and return to activities. Digital health technology can improve the way this information is communicated to the community. A multidisciplinary team of pediatric concussion researchers and clinicians translated evidence-based, gold-standard guidelines and tools into a smartphone application with recognition and recovery components. HeadCheck is a community facing digital health application developed in Australia (not associated with HeadCheck Health) for management of concussion in children aged 5-18 years. The application consists of (I) a sideline concussion check and (II) symptom monitoring and symptom-targeted psychoeducation to assist the parent manage their child's safe return to school, exercise and sport. The application was tested with target end users as part of the development process. HeadCheck provides an accessible platform for disseminating best practice evidence. It provides feedback to help recognize a concussion and symptoms of more serious injuries and assists parents guide their child's recovery.
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    Protocol for a randomised clinical trial of multimodal postconcussion symptom treatment and recovery: the Concussion Essentials study
    Anderson, V ; Rausa, VC ; Anderson, N ; Parkin, G ; Clarke, C ; Davies, K ; McKinlay, A ; Crichton, A ; Davis, GA ; Dalziel, K ; Dunne, K ; Barnett, P ; Hearps, SJC ; Takagi, M ; Babl, FE (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2021)
    INTRODUCTION: While most children recover from a concussion shortly after injury, approximately 30% experience persistent postconcussive symptoms (pPCS) beyond 1-month postinjury. Existing research into the treatment of pPCS have evaluated unimodal approaches, despite evidence suggesting that pPCS likely represent an interaction across various symptom clusters. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal, symptom-tailored intervention to accelerate symptom recovery and increase the proportion of children with resolved symptoms at 3 months postconcussion. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this open-label, assessor-blinded, randomised clinical trial, children with concussion aged 8-18 years will be recruited from The Royal Children's Hospital (The RCH) emergency department, or referred by a clinician, within 17 days of initial injury. Based on parent ratings of their child's PCS at ~10 days postinjury, symptomatic children (≥2 symptoms at least 1-point above those endorsed preinjury) will undergo a baseline assessment at 3 weeks postinjury and randomised into either Concussion Essentials (CE, n=108), a multimodal, interdisciplinary delivered, symptom-tailored treatment involving physiotherapy, psychology and education, or usual care (UC, n=108) study arms. CE participants will receive 1 hour of intervention each week, for up to 8 weeks or until pPCS resolve. A postprogramme assessment will be conducted at 3 months postinjury for all participants. Effectiveness of the CE intervention will be determined by the proportion of participants for whom pPCS have resolved at the postprogramme assessment (primary outcome) relative to the UC group. Secondary outcome analyses will examine whether children receiving CE are more likely to demonstrate resolution of pPCS, earlier return to normal activity, higher quality of life and a lower rate of utilisation of health services, compared with the UC group. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics were approved by The RCH Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC: 37100). Parent, and for mature minors, participant consent, will be obtained prior to commencement of the trial. Study results will be disseminated at international conferences and international peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12617000418370; pre-results.
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    Protocol for a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study of postconcussive symptoms in children: the Take CARe (Concussion Assessment and Recovery Research) study
    Bressan, S ; Takagi, M ; Anderson, V ; Davis, GA ; Oakley, E ; Dunne, K ; Clarke, C ; Doyle, M ; Hearps, S ; Ignjatovic, V ; Seal, M ; Babl, FE (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2016)
    INTRODUCTION: A substantial minority of children who sustain a concussion suffer prolonged postconcussive symptoms. These symptoms can persist for more than 1 month postinjury and include physical, cognitive, behavioural and emotional changes. Those affected can develop significant disability, diminishing their quality of life. The precise prevalence of postconcussive symptoms following child concussion is unclear, with heterogeneous and at times conflicting results published regarding factors that predict children at risk for developing long-lasting postconcussive symptoms. The aim of the Take C.A.Re (Concussion Assessment and Recovery Research) study is to provide an in-depth multidimensional description of the postconcussive recovery trajectories from a physical, neurocognitive and psychosocial perspective in the 3 months following concussion, with a focus on the early postconcussive period, and identification of factors associated with prolonged recovery. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Take C.A.Re is a prospective, longitudinal study at a tertiary children's hospital, recruiting and assessing patients aged 5-<18 years who present to the emergency department with a concussion and following them at 1-4 days, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months postinjury. Multiple domains are assessed: postconcussive symptoms, balance and coordination, neurocognition, behaviour, quality of life, fatigue, post-traumatic stress symptoms, parental distress and family burden. 'Delayed recovery' is operationalised as the presence of ≥ 3 symptoms on the Post Concussive Symptoms Inventory rated as worse compared with baseline. Main analyses comprise analysis of variance (recovery trajectories, delayed vs normal recovery groups) and regression analyses of predictors of recovery (preinjury, acute and family factors). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained through the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (33122). We aim to disseminate the findings through international conferences, international peer-reviewed journals and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12615000316505.
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    Protocol for a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study of recovery pathways, acute biomarkers and cost for children with persistent postconcussion symptoms: the Take CARe Biomarkers study
    Takagi, M ; Babl, FE ; Anderson, N ; Bressan, S ; Clarke, CJ ; Crichton, A ; Dalziel, K ; Davis, GA ; Doyle, M ; Dunne, K ; Godfrey, C ; Hearps, SJC ; Ignjatovic, V ; Parkin, G ; Rausa, V ; Seal, M ; Thompson, EJ ; Truss, K ; Anderson, V (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2019-06)
    INTRODUCTION: The majority of children who sustain a concussion will recover quickly, but a significant minority will experience ongoing postconcussive symptoms, known as postconcussion syndrome (PCS). These symptoms include emotional, behavioural, cognitive and physical symptoms and can lead to considerable disability. The neurobiological underpinnings of PCS are poorly understood, limiting potential clinical interventions. As such, patients and families frequently re-present to clinical services, who are often ill equipped to address the multifactorial nature of PCS. This contributes to the high cost of concussion management and the disability of children experiencing PCS. The aims of the present study are: (1) to plot and contrast recovery pathways for children with concussion from time of injury to 3 months postinjury, (ii) evaluate the contribution of acute biomarkers (ie, blood, MRI) to delayed recovery postconcussion and (3) estimate financial costs of child concussion to patients attending the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary children's hospital and factors predicting high cost. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Take C.A.Re is a prospective, longitudinal study at a tertiary children's hospital, recruiting and assessing 525 patients aged 5-<18 years (400 concussion, 125 orthopaedic injury) who present to the ED with a concussion and following them at 1-4 days, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months postinjury. Multiple domains are assessed: preinjury and postinjury, clinical, MRI, blood samples, neuropsychological, psychological and economic. PCS is defined as the presence of ≥2 symptoms on the Post Concussive Symptoms Inventory rated as worse compared with baseline 1 month postinjury. Main analyses comprise longitudinal Generalised Estimating Equation models and regression analyses of predictors of recovery and factors predicting high economic costs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained through the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (33122). We aim to disseminate the findings through international conferences, international peer-reviewed journals and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12615000316505; Results.