Actigraphy-derived sleep patterns in children and adolescents with persistent post-concussion symptoms: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND

Persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) affect 35% of children and adolescents with concussion. This study aimed to characterise sleep patterns in children and adolescents with PPCS and explore the effect of sleep disturbance on clinical concussion outcomes.

METHODS

A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in participants with PPCS (n = 20, aged 11-18 years) presenting to a tertiary referral clinic. Participants completed a battery of concussion assessments at their initial consultation and at 4 weeks follow-up to assess and monitor symptom burden, cognition, balance, mental health, and exercise tolerance. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used to identify participants with post-concussion clinical insomnia (PCCI). Wrist actigraphy was used to objectively characterise sleep patterns, including total sleep time, sleep latency, wake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency, over a 14-day period. Participants were followed until they were recovered from concussion.

RESULTS

Forty-five percent of participants with PPCS also had PCCI. Objective mean ± SD sleep parameters of participants were: total sleep time 452.1 ± 53.8 min, sleep latency 32.2 ± 16.3 min, wake after sleep onset 76.9 ± 21.4 min, and sleep efficiency 85.9 ± 3.7%. Mood disturbance was a significant predictor of sleep disturbance at the 4-week follow-up (P = 0.01). Recovery time was three times greater for participants with PCCI than those with no PCCI (median (interquartile range): 150 (91-247) vs 47 (30-58) days, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep disturbance is significantly associated with poorer mental health and prolonged recovery time in children and adolescents with PPCS.