On Monday 19 August at 14:00, Peter Preben Eggertsen defends his PhD dissertation entitled "Exploring Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms: An Epidemiological, Biomedical, and Psychosocial Approach".

Concussion is one of the most common reasons for emergency room visits in Denmark and globally. Although most people recover swiftly, about 30% of those affected develop persistent symptoms such as headaches and concentration difficulties lasting several months or even years. There is no agreed-upon treatment for these debilitating symptoms in Denmark or worldwide. The reasons for this include:

1. Lack of knowledge about the frequency of concussions and persistent symptoms.
2. Unknown reasons for why the condition occurs.
3. Lack of knowledge about which factors affected individuals consider important in the current treatment approach.

A multidisciplinary approach was used to gain knowledge on these three under-researched areas. The PhD project consisted of three parts:

A population study: The concussion frequency was investigated by analyzing data from emergency rooms across all Danish hospitals.

Two laboratory studies: Causes of persistent symptoms after a concussion were investigated by measuring biomarkers in the blood of individuals with persistent symptoms after a concussion.

An interview study: Individuals who had undergone a new non-medical treatment strategy ("GAIN 2.0") were interviewed to identify key factors in treating persistent symptoms.

The project provides new knowledge that can potentially be used to improve the current treatment approach and convince decision-makers that standardized treatment options for persistent post-concussion symptoms should be established in Denmark.

The summary is written by the PhD student. 

The defence is public and takes place in Meeting Room 3, Hammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and online. Please see the press release for more information. 

Contact

PhD student Peter Preben Eggertsen

Mail: peter.eggertsen@rm.dk

Phone: (+45) 42763218

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