What is the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire and how does it work? (RPQ)

The RPQ is a self-report scale designed to measure symptoms associated with post-concussion syndrome (PCS). A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can occur after a blow to the head or violent movement, often as a result of sports injuries or vehicle collisions. Symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, cognitive deficits, and more. The types of symptoms and their severity depend on multiple factors, such as the nature of the injury, age, sex, and the effectiveness of treatment or symptom management—that is why it is essential to measure symptoms over time using tools like the RPQ.

The RPQ asks patients to rate how much of a problem these symptoms have been in the past 24 hours, compared to before the injury occurred.

When the RPQ is administered in Creyos Health, responses are automatically scored, and a report is generated. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale, from 0 = not experienced at all to 4 = a severe problem, then tallied. Symptoms are divided into early symptoms (headache, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting) and late symptoms, which can be scored and tracked separately in addition to the overall score. An overall score between 16 and 35 may be indicative of post-concussion syndrome, and greater than 35 may also be predictive of moderate to severe limitations in abilities.

Note: The purpose of a RPQ is to assist the clinician in quantifying concussion symptoms and monitoring the severity of these symptoms over time. Any conclusions drawn from the RPQ should be paired with clinical interviews and observations, other mental health examinations or assessments administered, and evaluations of the patient’s level of distress, functional impairment, and/or patient history. Please refer to King et al., 1995, for additional details.