Cerebral blood flow in children and adolescents several years after concussion

ABSTRACTObjectives: The long-term effects of concussion in youth remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the association between history of concussion and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in youth.Methods: A total of 53 children and adolescents with a history of concussion (n = 37) or orthopaedic injury (OI; n = 16) were considered. Measures included pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging to quantify CBF, post-concussion symptoms, psychological symptoms, and cognitive testing.Results: Participants (mean age: 14.4 years, 95% CI = 13.8–15.4, range = 8–19) were on average 2.7 years (95% CI = 2.2–3.1) post-injury. Youth with a history of concussion had higher parent-reported physical, cognitive, anxiety, and depression symptoms than children with OI, but the groups did not differ on self-reported symptoms (post-concussive or psychological) or cognitive testing. Global CBF did not differ between groups. Regional CBF analyses suggested that youth with a hist...