97% Improvement in Symtpom Composite Score and Cognition, in a Case of Pediatiric Brain Injury Following 1 Week of Multi-Modal Neuro-Rehabilitation

Background: A 7-year-old male presented with severe complaints of anxiety, nausea, blurred vision, fatigue, headache, head pressure, light and sound sensitivity, temperature sensitivity and tinnitus. His history consisted of a brain injury as a result of an idiopathic seizure at 2 years of age. Graded Symptom Checklist (GSC) severity score was 75/138. Standard Assessment of Concussion (SAC) was scored at 18/30. Trails A (TA) and Trails B (TB) had scores of 108.6 sec and 173.5 seconds respectively

Methods: A five-day, multi-modal program of neurological rehabilitation was administered three times per day, for approximately 45 minutes per session. Each session consisted of electrical somatosensory stimulation, neuromuscular reeducation exercises, vestibular rehabilitation, off-vertical axis rotation, and eye exercises.

Results: Following the course of treatment, the patient had an overall decrease in GSC severity to a 2/138 (-97.3%), increased SAC score to 24/30 (+25%), decreased TA time 58.6 sec (-46%), decreased TB time 116.9sec (-33.3%).

Conclusion: Short duration, multi-modal, intensive programs of neurological rehabilitation may effectively reduce symptoms and improve cognitive abilities of children with brain injury associated symptoms. Further research into high intensity, short-duration, multi-modal neurological rehabilitation for pediatric brain injury is needed.