Examining the interdisciplinary approach for treatment of persistent post-concussion symptoms in adults: a systematic review

Background: The objective of this review is to examine the evidence for the interdisciplinary approach in treatment of persistent post-concussion symptoms in adults.

Methods: This systematic literature search was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Five electronic databases were searched: CINAHL, Informit, ProQuest, PubMed and Scopus. After screening and quality assessment, the review included six studies published in English and peer-reviewed journals, between 2011 and 2021 to return contemporary evidence.

Results: The results revealed that there was significant variation between measures used and the timing of the pre- and post-treatment assessment. The studies found an interdisciplinary approach to be beneficial, however, the challenges of inherent heterogeneity, lack of clarity for definitions and diagnosis, and mixed results were apparent. The interdisciplinary interventions applied in all identified studies were found to reduce post-concussion symptoms across the symptom subtypes: headache/migraine, vestibular, cognitive, ocular motor and anxiety/mood.

Conclusions: The results demonstrated evidence for a reduction in persistent post-concussion symptoms following interdisciplinary intervention. This evidence will inform health services, clinicians, sports administrators and researchers with regard to concussion clinic and rehabilitation team design and service delivery.