Some people recover quickly from headache after concussion, but others take much longer. How do we know as soon as possible what will be the case for someone who has had a concussion? A recent study in Cephalalgia by Marbil and colleagues tracked the progression of headaches over time in children after a new concussion. They found that post-concussion headaches were common and were more severe in those with a history of headache prior to concussion.

A recent study in the Journal of Athletic Training explored the role of mental health in predicting lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries (LE MSK) after sports-related concussions in NCAA student-athletes. Previous research has found that the rate of LE MSK is elevated post-concussion, although the cause of this increased rate is unknown. In addition, poorer mental health is common post-concussion.

A review article by Stefanie Howell in the Psychiatric Times provides information to identify sleep-wake disturbances after traumatic brain injury (TBI), along with current diagnostic and treatment strategies. Although Howell writes generally about TBI (presumably of all severities), she notes that sleep-wake disturbances may develop after mild TBI (concussion), and several of the studies she references are specifically about mild TBI.

In this New York Times article, Christina Caron discusses one of the most effective therapy treatments: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). However, it’s not only used in clinical psychology––but also to treat a common experience: insomnia. Most people have experienced insomnia at one point in their life or another. However, for some, insomnia is a constant in their lives; one in 10 adults has chronic insomnia, and it is a common symptom after a concussion.

New research from NYU Langone Health reveals that a diagnosis of hypertension in those who received concussion care was strongly linked to a longer concussion recovery period compared to those without hypertension. The data also showed that hypertension was related to an increased likelihood of a post-concussion syndrome diagnosis.

The Q-collar is commonly referred to as a concussion-prevention method, although the company says the Q-collar helps “protect the brain” of contact athletes over a season of play. However, limitations include not being “demonstrated to prevent long-term cognitive function deficits,” no evaluation of clinical outcome impacts, and the data not “demonstrating that the device can prevent concussion or serious brain injury.”