Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Common Data Elements to Inform Diagnosis, Neuroimaging, and Outcome Metrics

Abstract

Currently, it is difficult for clinicians to reach consensus on best practices for the treatment and management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children because of the paucity and quality of existing scientific evidence. Most studies of mTBI, or concussion in pediatric patients are limited by small sample sizes, retrospective study design, and lack of standardization with regard to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols, clinical assessments, outcome metrics, treatment management, and even definitions of mTBI and clinical severity. Common data elements (CDEs) is an initiative of the National Institute of Health (NIH) to standardize data acquisition, data collection, definitions, and outcome metrics in pediatric mTBI. CDEs might make it easier to compare research studies performed at different institutions in different settings, so that consensus recommendations can be achieved. The purpose of this review is to inform neuroradiologists about the development of CDEs for pediatric mTBI, which can inform longitudinal, prospective studies that will provide the data for much needed evidence-based guidelines in the management of pediatric mTBI.