Research detailed in the
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics indicates that children with mild
traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and
ADD/ADHD are more likely to have a moderate disability than children without ADD/ADHD.
What Research States
Patient records of 48 children with ADD/ADHD who had sustained a mild TBI were compared to a control group of 45 age-matched patients without ADD/ADHD who had also sustained a mild TBI:
• 25% of the patients with ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 56% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 24.9 weeks
• 2% of the control group without ADD/ADHD demonstrated a moderate disability and 84% were completely recovered within an average follow-up period of 7.2 weeks.
What a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tells Us
According to these findings, children with ADD/ADHD who sustain a mild TBI experience a greater level of disability and need (on average)
more than three times as long to recover.
These findings beg the question: Are rehabilitative efforts less effective for children with ADD/ADHD and TBI?
With this question in mind, the study authors make the following recommendations:
• Rethink letting children engage in sports and hobbies with increased risk of sustaining a TBI (football, soccer, hockey, boxing, cheerleading, riding a bike without a helmet).
• Physicians treating mild TBI cases in children with ADD/ADHD may need to adjust treatment plans, as more intensive treatment and longer rehabilitation may be required.
• Families of children with ADD/ADHD with mild TBI should be counseled accordingly about expected outcomes.
More evidence that the brain is both delicate and resilient!
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life, give us a call at 1-888-288-9834 or
click here to ask a question.
