Age-appropriate assessment of concussion in children and adolescents

Sport-related concussion (SRC) in children and adolescents presents unique diagnostic challenges due to heterogeneous clinical presentations and rapid neurodevelopmental trajectories. This focused review emphasizes that diagnosis fundamentally relies on symptomatic reporting and objective physiological assessments spanning multiple domains, integrating age-specific tools such as the revised Sport Concussion...

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

Audiologists involved in vestibular or concussion assessment should be aware that standard adult concussion tools are not directly applicable to pediatric patients; age-appropriate protocols should be used, but this review alone does not warrant a specific immediate practice change without reading the full paper.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

Concussion diagnosis in youth is a growing concern in audiology and vestibular practice, and age-specific tools are essential to avoid under- or misdiagnosis in a population with distinct neurodevelopmental profiles.

✦ Key Points ✦

01Standard adult concussion assessments are not always valid for children and adolescents.
02Developmental stage must guide selection of diagnostic tools in pediatric concussion.
03Published in Seminars in Pediatric Neurology (2026), a peer-reviewed specialty journal.
04Highlights ongoing challenges in achieving reliable sport-related concussion diagnosis in youth.
05Relevant to audiologists and vestibular specialists who assess post-concussion patients.

✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

ClaimEvidenceSupport

Age-appropriate diagnostic tools are necessary for accurate concussion assessment in children and adolescents.

studysupported

Children and adolescents require different concussion assessment approaches compared to adults.

studysupported

✦ Research metadata ✦

PMID: 42264869
DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2026.101267.
Journal: Seminars in Pediatric Neurology
Publication type: review
Evidence level: 5
Population: Children and adolescents with sport-related concussion
Intervention: Age-appropriate concussion diagnostic tools

Primary outcomes

Validity and appropriateness of diagnostic tools for pediatric concussion; Characterization of diagnostic challenges in children and adolescents

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