Concussions and the Developing Adolescent Brain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/cvt6sf96Keywords:
Concussion, Adolescent Brain Development, emotional regulation, Cognitive functionAbstract
Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries that interfere with normal brain function. According to national data, the prevalence of concussion among adolescents increased by 5.1% between 2016 and 2020. Adolescence is characterized by physiological and social changes. During this period, the brain undergoes growth and reorganization in regions of the brain responsible for cognition, emotional regulation, and behavior; at the same time, adolescents are increasingly taking part in organized sports and experiencing evolving social behaviors. Understanding these changes is important because they provide a biological basis for examining how concussion can affect cognitive function and emotional regulation. This makes the brain particularly susceptible to the short- and long-term effects of brain injury. A review of the literature that included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and biomedical and social behavioral studies examined the effects of concussion on the developing adolescent brain, emotional regulation in adolescents, and the relationship between cognitive function and emotional regulation. Results suggest that because the adolescent brain is still developing cognitive abilities essential for learning, decision-making, and daily functioning, concussions can disrupt academic and social activities as well as ongoing cognitive development and cognitive function and emotional regulation should be viewed as interconnected consequences of concussion rather than as separate outcomes. The findings suggest that executive function and emotional regulation are interconnected. Given the increasing prevalence of concussion among adolescents and its potential impact on neurodevelopment, continued empirical research on brain function and psychosocial behavior is needed to address this important public health concern and inform evidence-based standards of care for assessment, treatment, and recovery.
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