Initial use of the Coma Recovery Scale for Pediatrics (CRS-P) in young children with disorders of consciousness

The utility of the Coma Recovery Scale for Pediatrics (CRS-P) was evaluated as a measure for assessing responsiveness in young children in states of disorders of consciousness (DoC) after brain injury.
Retrospective demographic and CRS-P data were abstracted from medical records of patients between 6 months and <7 years of age at admission to a paediatric inpatient brain injury rehabilitation program before September 2023 if administered the CRS-P at least once during admission.
The sample included children aged 8 months to 6 years and 10 months (N = 18) admitted for inpatient rehabilitation following a new brain injury. CRS-P total score was significantly higher at discharge compared to admission (p < .001). CRS-P auditory, visual, and motor subscales were sensitive to change (i.e. significant improvement in responsiveness) between admission and discharge (p’s < 0.02). Just over one-third of patients (n = 7) emerged from a minimally conscious state (MCS), and functional object use was the first sign of emergence for all. Age at assessment was not significantly correlated with CRS-P scores. Conclusions: Results highlight the utility of the CRS-P for classifying states of DoC, as well as emergence, in young children with severe brain injury.