A-52 Cognitive Functioning After Concussion is Associated with Academic Problems and School Stress

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Students experiencing concussion symptoms also report school difficulties and academic impacts. We examined the relationship of cognitive functioning with self-reported academic concerns and school stress, hypothesizing that students with lower working memory (WM) and processing speed (PS) scores would have higher reported academic concerns and greater school stress. Methods 184 youth aged 8 to 18 diagnosed with a concussion (Mean age=14.4±2.2, 51% female, 67% white) completed the Concussion Learning Assessment and School Survey, 3rd Edition (CLASS-3), a validated self-reported rating scale of post-concussion academic problems and school stress. Pearson’s partial correlations, controlling for age and sex, assessed the relationship between the Academic Problems and School Stresses scales from the CLASS-3 with the WMI and PSI from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Results There were negative correlations between Processing Speed and Academic Problems (r(144)=-.33, p<.001) and School Stresses (r(160)=-.29, p=<.001). There was also a negative correlation between Working Memory and School Stresses (r(162)=-.24, p=.002) and Academic Problems (r(144)=-.15, p=.07). Conclusions Students with lower working memory and processing speed tend to report higher academic problems and school stresses. These results suggest that students with lower cognitive function experience higher school concerns, implying a need to establish appropriate school supports, particularly in students who experience cognitive dysfunction after a concussion.