15 (14B) Concussion history and recency: associations with the presence of anxiety in adolescents

Purpose Pediatric concussions are prevalent injuries in youth aged 5-12.However, this age group is underrepresented in the literature and recent concussion consensus statements.This study examines the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) status, length of recovery, and risk for persisting symptoms after concussion (PSaC) in pediatric patients aged 5-12 years diagnosed with sport or recreationrelated concussion (SRRC).Methods This retrospective cohort study included youth aged 5-12 years evaluated at a pediatric sports medicine clinic following SRRC.ADHD status was reported by caregivers in the initial clinic encounter.Participants were included in analyses if their initial visit occurred within 28 days of injury and their recovery length was within two standard deviations of the sample mean.Primary outcomes included symptom burden, recovery duration, and PSaC status, defined as the presence of symptoms >28 days post-injury.Results Among 350 youth aged 5 to 12 with SRRC, 15% (n=53) reported a history of ADHD.Symptom burden did not differ significantly between youth with and without ADHD (mean total symptoms= 4.53 vs. 4.08; p = 0.37).Similarly, recovery duration was comparable between the two groups (mean = 19.32 days vs. 18.23 days; p = 0.57) (figure 1).ADHD diagnosis was also not significantly associated with PSaC risk (14% vs. 11%; p = 0.54).Conclusion Reported history of ADHD was not associated with increased symptom burden, recovery duration, or risk of persisting symptoms after concussion in youth aged 5-12 with SRRC.Future research should examine the role of ADHD medication status in recovery outcomes.