Management program, referral request forms and assessment tools
Tools proposed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec
I work in healthcare
Tools to hear out little ones
At any age, concussions (or mild traumatic brain injuries) can lead to physical, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms. Detection, diagnosis, and management primarily rely on the injury history and the identification and monitoring of post-concussive symptoms.
According to many healthcare professionals, identifying and monitoring post-concussive symptoms can be more challenging in young children, particularly due to their limited language and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, several factors specific to the early childhood developmental period impact the nature and manifestation of symptoms in young children.
To support anyone working in the healthcare field, we have developed the REACTIONS tools for screening and assessing post-concussive symptoms in young children.
REACTIONS-48 is an inventory that documents symptoms following a traumatic brain injury in children aged 8 years and younger. It can be completed by a parent, a significant adult, and/or a healthcare professional, based on observed or reported behaviors.
Documenting symptoms in 10 minutes
Through 48 statements, the REACTIONS-48 inventory documents the observable manifestations of 16 cognitive, physical, and behavioral post-concussive symptoms.
The results obtained can be used to support:
- The diagnostic process
- Monitoring of symptom progression and recovery
- Choice of interventions to be implemented
- Research on traumatic brain injuries in early childhood
REACTIONS-8 is a brief screening tool for documenting observable post-concussive symptoms in the acute period, within 48 hours after the injury, in children under 8 years old.
It can be completed by a parent, a significant adult, and/or a healthcare professional, based on observed or reported behaviors.
Using eight brief statements, it detects the presence of common, acute post-concussive symptoms in less than three minutes and can guide the subsequent evaluation process.
Early Childhood Detection Tool
This COCO Early Childhood Detection Tool is intended for the general public and healthcare professionals to support the identification of possible concussions by quickly identifying signs and symptoms in young children after a traumatic brain injury.
The Early Childhood Detection Tool was developed in collaboration with researchers and clinicians in neurotrauma at CHU Sainte-Justine and their respective networks.
Other tools and references for healthcare professionals
Gouvernement du Québec
Concussion management protocol for use by educational institutions and in the context of recreational and sports activities
Peds Concussion
Living guideline for pediatric concussion
The Lancet
International consensus on concussion in sport: the latest tools proposed by the Concussion in Sport Group
INESSS
Mild Traumatic brain injury: Advice for gradually resuming intellectual, physical and sports activities
