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A new Curtin University study has found almost half of people who experience a concussion still have problems a year later, while also revealing which factors put patients most at risk of long-term symptoms.

The Concussion Recovery Study followed 232 adults ages 18–65 who had sustained a concussion and found 45.6% still reported symptoms 12 months after their injury.

Ongoing effects included fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, dizziness, memory problems, sensitivity to noise and light, balance issues, irritability and more.

Published in PLOS ONE, the research identified the strongest predictors of long-term symptoms, while also challenging commonly held assumptions about what leads to prolonged issues.

Study author Dr. Jacinta Thorne, from the Curtin Medical Research Institute, said participants who reported severe symptoms in the days after their concussion were almost three times more likely to still be experiencing symptoms a year later.

"Feeling slow, mentally foggy or nervous in the days immediately following injury was an important warning sign that someone may need closer monitoring and support during recovery," Thorne said.

However, researchers also found initial indicators of injury severity don't necessarily predict a longer recovery.

"We found no evidence that loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia or whether a patient received a CT scan predicted who would experience persistent symptoms a year later," Thorne said.

"That tells us it's not always the injury that appears most serious at the time that leads to the poorest recovery.

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