At the annual meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists, Brad Kurowski, MD, MS, a physician in the division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Cincinnati Children’ Hospital presented his research on the long term effects of TBI among children.
On average seven years post injury, Dr. Kurowski’s research found that children with mild to moderate brain injuries were two times more likely to have developed attention problems, while those with more severe traumatic brain injuries were five times more likely to develop secondary ADHD.
Interestingly, the researchers also found that the family environment had a major influence on the development of these attention problems. A positive and supportive family environment had a positive impact on the children. Conversely, children with milder injuries from disadvantaged or chaotic homes often demonstrated persistent attention problems.
This study offers further support that even mild traumatic brain injuries may have long term consequences and puts to rest the myth that all children recover from mild traumatic brain injury.
