Interventions for Attention Problems After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: What Is the Evidence?

ObjectiveTo gain an understanding of the current state of the evidence for management of attention problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children, determine gaps in the literature, and make recommendations for future research.TypeFocused systematic review.Literature SurveyPubMed/Medline and PsychINFO databases were searched for relevant articles published in English during the last 20 years. Keywords included “attention” “attention deficit and disruptive behavior disorders,” and “brain injuries.” Studies were limited to children.MethodologyTitles were examined first and eliminated based on lack of relevancy to attention problems after brain injury in children. This was followed by an abstract and full text review. Article quality was determined based on the US Preventative Services Task Force recommendations for evidence grading.SynthesisFour pharmacologic and 10 cognitive therapy intervention studies were identified. These studies varied in level of evidence quality but were primarily nonrandomized or cohort studies.ConclusionsThere are studies that demonstrate benefits of varying pharmacologic and cognitive therapies for the management of attention problems after TBI. However, there is a paucity of evidence available to definitively guide management of attention problems after pediatric TBI. Larger randomized, controlled trials and multicenter studies are needed to elucidate optimal treatment strategies in this population.