When a Concussion Isn't a Concussion

The study, “’My Child Doesn’t Have a Brain Injury, He Only Has a Concussion’,” published in the February issue of Pediatrics (appearing online Jan. 18), followed 434 children in Canada who were admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of brain injury or concussion. They found that the concussion label is strongly associated with earlier discharge from the hospital and earlier return to school and activities. The study also noted that if a child is given a diagnosis of concussion, the family is less likely to consider it a brain injury. Meanwhile, physicians seem to consider mild brain injury and concussion as two separate diagnostic categories, when in fact, they both reflect mild brain injury. The researchers surmised that one reason for this is that parents find the word “concussion” less alarming that “brain injury.” In light of the current re-examination of brain injuries and return to activities, including sports such as football and hockey, the authors recommend that using more-specific descriptors of brain injury, other than concussion, could lead to a more consistent use of terminology for both clinical and research purposes.