Neurophysiological markers of cognitive deficits and recovery in concussed adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

The present study sought to determine: 1) whether concussed adolescents exhibited deficits in neurocognitive functioning as reflected by neurophysiological alterations; 2) if neurophysiological alterations could be linked to supplementary data such as the number of previous concussions and days since injury; and 3) if deficits in psychological health and behavioural tests increased during diagnosis duration.

METHODS

Twenty-six concussed adolescents were compared to twenty-eight healthy controls with no prior concussions. Self-report inventories evaluated depressive and concussive symptomatology, while behavioral tests evaluated cognitive ability qualitatively. To assess neurophysiological markers of cognitive function, two separate auditory oddball tasks were employed: 1) an active oddball task measuring executive control and attention as reflected by the N2b and P300, respectively; and 2) a passive oddball task assessing the early, automatic pre-conscious awareness processes as reflected by the MMN.

RESULTS

Concussed adolescents displayed delayed N2b and attenuated P300 responses relative to controls; showed elevated levels of depressive and concussive symptomatology; scored average-to- low-average in behavioral tests; and exhibited N2b response latencies that correlated with number of days since injury.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate that concussed adolescents exhibit clear deficiencies in neurocognitive function, and that N2b response latency may be a marker of concussion recovery.