Rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire

The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, abbreviated RPQ, is a questionnaire that can be administered to someone who sustains a concussion or other form of traumatic brain injury to measure the severity of symptoms. The RPQ is used to determine the presence and severity of post-concussion syndrome (PCS), a set of somatic, cognitive, and emotional symptoms following traumatic brain injury that may persist anywhere from a week, to months, or even more than six months. The RPQ has been cited in over 40 papers. The test was presented in 1995 by a group led by N.S. King. At the time of its design, no measure of PCS severity had been developed. The test, which can be self-administered or given by an interviewer, asks patients to rate the severity of 16 different symptoms commonly found after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Patients are asked to rate how severe each of the 16 symptoms has been over the past 24 hours. In each case, the symptom is compared with how severe it was before the injury occurred (premorbid). These symptoms are reported by severity on a scale from 0 to 4: not experienced, no more of a problem, mild problem, moderate problem, and severe problem. The questionnaire asks the sufferer to assess the following symptoms: The first three symptoms are referred to as RPQ-3, also known as RPQh (RPQ head), and are the early (immediately following injury) symptoms associated with post-concussion syndrome. The other thirteen are referred to as RPQ-13, also known as RPQgen (RPQ general), and are the late symptoms associated with the syndrome. Late symptoms can occur days to weeks after the initial injury, although headaches and dizziness can persist well into the 'late stage' as well. RPQ-3 symptoms are regarded as the more 'physical' symptoms, whereas the RPQ-13 set of symptoms are considered to have a more significant impact on psychic and social function. The questionnaire also includes a space for the test-taker to report any additional symptoms they may be experiencing since the onset of the injury. The questionnaire may be self-administered, administered in person by a second party, or administered over telephone. The questionnaire can feasibly be used as any other neuropsychological test for assessment of concussions would, including following MTBI following accidents or sports-related injury. The questionnaire can also be used for the assessment of conditions that show symptoms similar to PCS, such as chronic pain. The questionnaire includes a selection of cognitive, somatic, and emotional symptoms associated with post-concussion syndrome. These symptoms were analyzed separately as individual clusters to determine frequency among PCS sufferers, although these clusters are not formally associated with the development and intentions of the questionnaire itself. Fatigue is the most frequently affirmed symptom of PCS included on the questionnaire, while double vision is the least affirmed. Some other neuropsychological tests do not include fatigue as a symptom of PCS, giving the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire an advantage in an 'accurate' assessment of the condition. Severe fatigue has been reported in at least a third of a representative cohort of MTBI sufferers, and this symptom was associated with a significant limitation of the ability of sufferers to function normally in daily activities.