Effect of Migraine on Functional Performance and Self Reported Symptoms in Children with Concussion: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Several factors have been identified to influence concussion. Migraine has been identified as a common symptom reported after concussion which has been related to a worse prognosis. Concussion is a common brain injury that affects physical and cognitive performance. While several studies indicated that adolescents are more likely to develop concussion, in the last decade concussion has been mainly explored in adults. Aim: To investigate the effect of migraine on functional performance and self-reported symptoms in children with concussion. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 35 symptomatic children with concussion aged 9-17 years recruited within one year from their concussion injury at a tertiary care center in Pittsburgh, PA, Unites States of America. Participants’ symptoms and functional performance were assessed using the Postconcussion Symptoms Scale (PCSS) and the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) respectively. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics for Windows (version 22; IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) was used for all statistical analysis. Results: Mann-Whitney U Test showed that concussed children with migraine had significantly worse symptoms of fatigue and visual problems (p <0.05). The mean age of participants were mean age of 14.03±2.47 years and 66% were females. Conclusion: Although concussed children with and without migraine didn’t show any differences on functional performance, worse fatigue and visual symptoms were found in concussed children with migraine.

Keywords

• balance
• functional gait assessment
• postconcussion symptoms scale