Modern methods of treatment and rehabilitation of the post-concussion syndrome

Traumatic brain injury is an urgent problem of modern healthcare, as it affects the most able-bodied part of the population. Mild traumatic brain injury is the most common traumatic brain injury. Generally, clinical recovery after a mild brain injury occurs within two weeks, but in some cases, the symptoms that occur after the injury persist for a prolonged period. This condition is called post-concussion syndrome. A search and review of Russian and foreign literature was conducted using the keywords «treatment of post-concussion syndrome», «rehabilitation of post-concussion syndrome», and «approach to managing patients with post-concussion syndrome» in the search engines PubMed, Google Scholar, and eLibrary for 2013-2024. The review included 21 papers that fit the selection criteria. The actual causes and mechanisms of the development of post-concussion syndrome are not well known. Presumably, both organic damage to the brain substance and psychological factors accompanying the injury or preexisting in the patient's history may be significant risk factors. Therefore, there are no unified algorithms for the treatment of post-concussion syndrome. This literature review provides information on modern methods of treatment and rehabilitation of the post-concussion syndrome. Both drug and non-drug methods are used to treat it. Among the medications, amantadine, methylphenidate, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have a certain effect. However, many patients discontinue their medications due to side effects. Of non-drug methods, subsymptomatic aerobic activity and vestibular physical therapy can be effective. Other methods, such as manual therapy and hyperbaric oxygenation, did not improve post-concussion syndrome. Psychological counseling is also beneficial in the treatment of post-concussion syndrome. There is evidence on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and training patients on the features of the period after traumatic brain injury, and feedback. Post-concussion syndrome is a complex condition that requires a combined approach, involving several specialists to address various symptoms of this syndrome.