No specific feedback was given regarding the results of the as- sessments conducted. The parents of children in the mild TBI intervention group were also given an information booklet outlining the most common symptoms associated with mild TBI, their likely time course, and suggestions as to how best to cope with them. The booklet was adapted for children from one written by Dorothy Gronwall and Phillip Wrightson from the Auckland Hospital, New Zealand. Descriptions of a mild head injury and its effects are given in simple language, with cartoon illustrations. For example,“I can’t concentrate so well .... After a mild head injury, you might have trouble listening to the teacher in class, watching TV or playing games like Sony Playstation and Nintendo. This is because the’ sleepy’
brain can’t concentrate as well. If you can’t concentrate, take a break or change to another activity.”Other problems covered include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, trouble remembering things, anger, noise problems, and eye problems. Advice is given about returning to sports and to school. Children are reassured that the
problems should resolve and advised to ask for help from a doctor if problems persist. The children in the intervention group were reassessed using the same procedures 3 months after injury. Participants in the nonintervention mild TBI group received standard emergency department treatment and did not receive the information booklet.
They were assessed 3 months after injury only. Two control groups were also selected to control for the impact
of any minor injury on cognition and behavior and for the impact of repeated administration of the test measures. The control groups also comprised children aged 6 to 15 years presenting to the same emergency departments with minor injuries not involv-ing the head. Seventy percent of controls had soft tissue injuries, and 30% had bony injuries. None of these children needed surgery with general anesthesia or had a hospital stay of more than 24 hours. Neither of the control groups received the information booklet.