OTSLPPilotThe Journal of head trauma rehabilitation2025

Purpose Renewal in Adults With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion: Results of a Non-Randomized Feasibility Trial.

Natalie V Covington, Mary Vining Radomski, Alisa Kocian and 7 others

PMID 40525877

WHAT IT FOUND

The 12-week Compass Course was feasible for adults with persisting concussion symptoms, with 22 of 37 completing it.

While completers reported high satisfaction and gains in purpose, nearly half withdrew, and the uncontrolled design cannot prove efficacy.

Key findings

01Twenty-two of the thirty-seven enrolled adults completed the 12-week intervention, while fifteen withdrew prior to or during treatment.

02Completers reported high satisfaction and judged the course information, activities, and homework to be helpful.

03Twenty-one of twenty-two completers indicated a sense of purpose direction after the intervention, and 77.3% experienced potential benefit based on a specific score increase.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs

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What it does not show

The study used an uncontrolled design, so observed changes cannot be attributed to the intervention alone. The sample was small, with only 22 completers, and was predominantly Non-Hispanic White women. Outcome measures used in the study have not been validated for adults with persisting symptoms after concussion. Attrition was high, with nearly half of enrolled participants withdrawing, and those who withdrew were younger and more likely to be employed full-time, which may limit generalizability to working-age adults. The virtual format exacerbated concussion symptoms for some participants, limiting acceptability for those with significant screen sensitivity.

Declared interests

The Compass Course materials are proprietary, and the study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

The easy way to misread this

Do not interpret the improvements in purpose scores as evidence that the Compass Course effectively treats persisting symptoms after concussion. The study was a feasibility pilot without a control group, so natural recovery or other concurrent treatments could explain the changes.

Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →