Les jeunes enfants ne peuvent pas toujours exprimer leur inconfort après une commotion cérébrale. Le temps d’une courte vidéo, devenez leurs yeux et leurs oreilles pour mieux comprendre leur parcours et le rôle crucial de leur entourage.
I work in healthcare
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 screening and assessment tools for post-concussive symptoms and compiled recovery recommendations to be passed on to caregivers.
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.
Early Childhood Recovery Tool
A diagnosis of concussion in a young child (0-5 years) can raise many questions about returning to daily routines. This tool contains information and recommendations to support recovery in young children through three phases of recovery.
The Early Childhood Recovery Tool was developed in collaboration with health professionals, educators, and parents.
Other tools and references for healthcare professionals

Management program, referral request forms and assessment tools
Tools proposed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec

Concussion management protocol for use by educational institutions and in the context of recreational and sports activities

Living guideline for pediatric concussion

International consensus on concussion in sport: the latest tools proposed by the Concussion in Sport Group
