Abstract

Concussion recovery is primarily based on the full resolution of symptoms, but neurophysiological changes are present and may persist beyond clinical recovery. Our objectives were to 1) compare the evolution of electrophysiological and clinical outcomes between adolescents with and without concussion over the first month after injury and 2) determine the relationship between electrophysiological and clinical outcomes. Adolescents with concussion (n=53) were assessed within 10 days of and at 30-days post-injury, while adolescents without concussion (n=15) were tested at arbitrary dates but with a similar interval between sessions. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG), Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Revised Children’s Depression and Anxiety Scale were completed at all study visits. Separate mixed-effects models evaluated the effect group, time, and their interaction on clinical and EEG (F3 delta power, F8 delta power, P4 delta power, T6 beta power, and O1 beta power) variables, with all models controlling for age and sex. Pearson’s correlations examined the associations between EEG power and clinical symptoms, separately for each group and study visit. Results revealed that clinical measures improved over time (primarily driven by changes in the concussion group); however, no significant effects of group, time, or their interaction were observed for any EEG variable. Few significant correlations between EEG and clinical outcomes were observed. These results suggest that EEG outcomes do not change over the first month following concussion. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and different EEG features, which may be more sensitive to changes over time after concussion.