LAUSR

Concussion often results in symptoms including difficulty concentrating, focusing and remembering that are typically managed with cognitive and physical rest. The school environment is often not conducive to cognitive rest and may lead to worsening or prolonged symptoms that can contribute to impaired academic performance. The objective was to identify and summarize literature concerning the effects of concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on academic outcomes. MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched until June 1, 2016. Studies must have been primary literature examining students enrolled in primary, secondary, or post-secondary education, have received a physician diagnosis of concussion or mTBI, and have post-injury academic outcomes assessed in numeric or alphabet grade/grade point average (GPA), school attendance records, or national exam scores. Data were extracted and checked by second reviewer for accuracy and completeness. Nine studies were included. Among three studies that examined grades, one found a significant difference in pre- and post- grades in only the subject Afrikaans. Three examined national test scores and no significant differences were found between cases and controls. Four examined school absenteeism and found that students who developed post-concussion syndrome (PCS) missed significantly more school days and took longer to return to school than students with extremity injuries. Although mTBI or concussion is associated with missed school, the results demonstrate minimal impact on school grades and national exam scores at a group level. Further research is needed to identify risk factors for impaired school functioning following mTBI and concussion in individual patients. Language: en