Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41870339›Full record

Observational studyJournal of rehabilitation medicine2026

Comparing people with persisting post-concussion symptoms from an emergency department-based research sample with patients in a clinical rehabilitation sample: an explorative, retrospective analysis.

Maria I Sandboe, Linda Fordal, Alexander Olsen, Grant L Iverson, Helge Skirbekk, Mille Møller Thastum, Jørgen Fældbæk Nielsen, Simen Berg Saksvik, Toril Skandsen

Abstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Maria I SandboeDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; NorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Linda FordalDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Clinic of Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
Alexander OlsenClinic of Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; NorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Grant L IversonDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Charlestown, MA, USA ; Mass General for Children Sports Concussion Program, Waltham, MA, USA; Home Base, A Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Helge SkirbekkDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Oslo Metropolitan University; Norwegian Concussion Association, Oslo, Norway.
Mille Møller ThastumHammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Jørgen Fældbæk NielsenHammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Simen Berg SaksvikClinic of Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Research and Development, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
Toril SkandsenDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Clinic of Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; NorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. toril.skandsen@ntnu.no.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare characteristics of people with persisting post-concussion symptoms in a sample referred for treatment and in a sample from a prospective research study.

designObservational study. SUBJECTS: Participants, aged 18-60 years, with persisting post-concussion symptoms 3-18 months after mild head injury, 92 with mild traumatic brain injury followed from the emergency department ("prospective emergency department sample") and 106 patients with either mild traumatic brain injury or minimal head injury, referred to an outpatient rehabilitation clinic ("clinical rehabilitation sample").

methodsPersisting post-concussion symptoms were defined as having British Columbia Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory scores indicating at least moderate persisting post-concussion symptoms and/or Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) scores ≥ 12. Symptoms, functional outcome, work/school participation, resilience, and fatigue were examined at 3-18 months post injury.

resultsCompared with the prospective emergency department sample, the clinical rehabilitation sample had higher education, higher RPQ scores (30 vs 17), lower Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended scores (median 6 vs 7), and more had not returned to work or school (43% vs 18%).

conclusionTreatment-seeking patients with persisting post-concussion symptoms differed in clinically important ways from people who developed persisting post-concussion symptoms in an emergency department-based mild traumatic brain injury study. Results from studies of mild traumatic brain injury seen in the emergency department may not generalize to patients seeking specialized treatment for persisting post-concussion symptoms.

Indexed as

Brain ConcussionPost-Concussion SyndromeAdolescentAdultEmergency Room VisitsEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleGlasgow Outcome ScaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41870339
PMCPMC13019437

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.