A critical decision confronting health care providers is how to predict in the acute setting which children will suffer persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS) and functional impairments after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), including sport-related concussion, has become a major health issue. Nearly 10% of mTBI patients (aged 0-18 years) are symptomatic with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) three months after injury. Persistent post-concussion symptoms often result in significant disability and family burden. However, the biological explanation for these prolonged PCS symptoms remains unclear.