Factor Analysis of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire in Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

Posttraumatic brain injury patients with depressive symptoms were compared with nondepressed mild and moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients based on their scores on the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPCSQ). A factor analysis demonstrated that the items of the RPCSQ loaded into three factors: mood and cognition, general somatic, and visual somatic symptom groups. Factor scores based on this model were calculated for each group and it was found that depressed subjects reported a greater severity of all three symptom groups compared to nondepressed patients. These results suggest that depression post-TBI may influence patient perception of postconcussion symptoms.