Introduction
Pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are the result of an external force to the head and cause altered consciousness. They are one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Although serious injuries generally result in greater consequences, mild TBI (“concussions” or mTBI) can also cause physical, cognitive, social, and emotional symptoms. Our projects aim to better understand these injuries and improve the recovery and development of children and their families. Many of our projects focus particularly on mTBI that occur during early childhood, between 0 and 5 years old (“early” mTBI), due to their high prevalence at this age and the vulnerability of young children.
TBI…
… is one of the leading causes of death and disability
In Canada…
…600 per 100,000 people per year experience TBI
In Québec…
…there are approximately 13,000 TBI per year
In the population, 1 in 4 children…
…go to the emergency room for a head injury
Falls (35%) and sports (29%)
…are the two main causes of TBI in children
What are the main
possible sequelae?
Post-concussive symptoms:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Somnolence
- Fatigue
- Change in behaviour
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Dizziness
- Impaired memory, attention and concentration
Physical sequelae :
Total or partial paralysis, difficulty in coordination, loss of balance, sensory loss, headache
Cognitive sequelae :
Memory disorder, language disorder, attention problem, learning difficulty, difficulty organizing information
Behavioural sequelae :
Irritability, restlessness, impulsiveness, aggressiveness, mood swings, apathy, withdrawal, disinhibition
