Evaluation the Efficacy of Nutritional Interventions in the Recovery and Management of Post-Concussion

Authors

  • Xiaoqi Wang Institute of Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Leicester, UK Author

Keywords:

post-concussion syndrome (PCS), nutritional intervention, cognitive recovery, systematic review

Abstract

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) affects a substantial number of patients, often involves prolonged symptom duration, and imposes a considerable medical and economic burden. This study systematically evaluated the efficacy of nutritional interventions for PCS recovery compared to conventional treatments. Following PRISMA guidelines, a literature review identified nine studies that met inclusion criteria, examining the effects of interventions including melatonin, Enzogenol, MLC901, phytocannabinoids, and the ketogenic diet. Key findings indicated that melatonin improved sleep quality and alleviated PCS symptoms, MLC901 enhanced attention and executive functioning, Enzogenol reduced mental fatigue and promoted restorative sleep, a ketogenic diet improved visual memory, and phytocannabinoids mitigated autonomic dysfunction and related symptoms. Despite variability in study designs and limited sample sizes, nutritional interventions demonstrated promising benefits for PCS symptom management. Future research should prioritize large-scale, well-controlled trials with standardized protocols and long-term follow-up to validate these findings and inform clinical practice.

References

1. C. Cancelliere, L. Verville, J. L. Stubbs, H. Yu, C. A. Hincapie, J. D. Cassidy, and N. D. Silverberg, "Post-concussion symptoms and disability in adults with mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Journal of neurotrauma, vol. 40, no. 11-12, pp. 1045-1059, 2023.

2. K. C. Jannace, L. Pompeii, D. Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, W. B. Perkison, J. M. Yamal, D. W. Trone, and R. P. Rull, "Lifetime traumatic brain injury and risk of post-concussive symptoms in the millennium cohort study," Journal of neurotrauma, vol. 41, no. 5-6, pp. 613-622, 2024.

3. M. L. Rolle, D. L. Garba, A. F. Kharbat, A. Bhebhe, F. Mwenge, B. V. Nahed, and V. B. Kerry, "The impact of traumatic brain injury on economic productivity in the Caribbean," Brain and spine, vol. 3, p. 101755, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.bas.2023.101755

4. G. T. Manley, and A. I. Maas, "The Glasgow Coma Scale at 50: looking back and forward," The Lancet, vol. 404, no. 10454, pp. 734-735, 2024. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01596-4

5. I. Mavroudis, A. Ciobica, I. M. Balmus, V. Burlui, L. Romila, and A. Iordache, "A Systematic review and meta-analysis of the inflammatory biomarkers in mild traumatic brain injury," Biomedicines, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 293, 2024. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12020293

6. T. Kuchler, R. Hausinger, M. C. Braunisch, R. Günthner, R. Wicklein, B. Knier, and C. Schmaderer, "All eyes on PCS: analysis of the retinal microvasculature in patients with post-COVID syndrome-study protocol of a 1 year prospective case-control study," European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, vol. 274, no. 8, pp. 1847-1856, 2024. doi: 10.1007/s00406-023-01724-5

7. F. Legler, L. Meyer-Arndt, L. Mödl, C. Kedor, H. Freitag, E. Stein, and J. Bellmann-Strobl, "Long-term symptom severity and clinical biomarkers in post-COVID-19/chronic fatigue syndrome: results from a prospective observational cohort," EClinicalMedicine, vol. 63, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102146

8. C. Westlin, A. J. Guthrie, C. Bleier, S. A. Finkelstein, J. Maggio, J. Ranford, and D. L. Perez, "Delineating network integration and segregation in the pathophysiology of functional neurological disorder," Brain Communications, vol. 7, no. 3, p. fcaf195, 2025. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf195

9. A. A. Taylor, S. R. McCauley, and A. M. Strutt, "Postconcussional syndrome: clinical diagnosis and treatment," Neurologic Clinics, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 161-176, 2023.

10. T. Ryan, S. Nagle, E. Daly, A. J. Pearce, and L. Ryan, "A potential role exists for nutritional interventions in the chronic phase of mild traumatic brain injury, concussion and sports-related concussion: a systematic review," Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 17, p. 3726, 2023. doi: 10.3390/nu15173726

11. V. F. Lubbers, D. J. van den Hoven, J. van der Naalt, K. Jellema, C. Van den Brand, and B. Backus, "Emergency department risk factors for post-concussion syndrome after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review," Journal of neurotrauma, vol. 41, no. 11-12, pp. 1253-1270, 2024.

12. A. J. Tracey, A. G. Bateman, S. E. Baez, and T. Covassin, "Effectiveness of interventions for the improvement of mental health and well-being post-concussion: a systematic review," Brain injury, vol. 37, no. 10, pp. 1135-1158, 2023. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2023.2219901

13. D. Hanalioglu, S. Hanalioglu, J. I. Arango, and P. D. Adelson, "Current evidence for pharmacological management of pediatric concussion: a systematic review," Child's Nervous System, vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 1831-1849, 2023. doi: 10.1007/s00381-023-05960-x

14. T. H. Moore, J. P. Higgins, and K. Dwan, "Ten tips for successful assessment of risk of bias in randomized trials using the RoB 2 tool: Early lessons from Cochrane," Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, vol. 1, no. 10, p. e12031, 2023.

Downloads

Published

2025-10-20

How to Cite

Wang, X. (2025). Evaluation the Efficacy of Nutritional Interventions in the Recovery and Management of Post-Concussion. Simen Owen Academic Proceedings Series, 1, 46-53. https://simonowenpub.com/index.php/SOAPS/article/view/9