Childhood brain injuries can affect educational attainment in adulthood – even a concussion can be enough

A study conducted at Tampere University shows that a blow to the head can significantly impact a child’s or adolescent’s future education and, consequently, their career. Even a mild concussion can have far-reaching consequences.

Childhood brain injuries can affect education in the long term, according to research by doctoral researcher Julius Möttönen at Tampere University. The study compared 0–17-year-old children and adolescents who had suffered brain injuries with those of the same age who had sustained limb injuries, such as ankle or wrist fractures.

The results indicate that those who had suffered brain injuries achieved a lower level of education over a 20-year follow-up period compared to those who had sustained limb injuries.

The study utilised data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare's care register for health and education data register in the period of1998–2018. A total of 8,487 individuals diagnosed with brain injuries were chosen from the registers. They were compared with 15,552 individuals who had had an ankle or wrist fracture. At the end of the follow-up, participants had to be at least 26 years old to ensure that the impact on educational attainment was examined as reliably as possible.

Those who had suffered brain injuries were less likely to complete higher education degrees than the comparison group. Individuals with more specific internal brain injury diagnoses were more likely to have no higher education compared to those with milder concussions.

Even a single concussion can affect educational attainment. Patients who had suffered concussions were found to have significantly lower educational levels in the follow-up compared to those who had sustained limb injuries.

“A mild, single concussion is often considered a relatively harmless event, but our research suggests that it can have long-term effects on learning and cognitive abilities. This should get more attention in both healthcare and schools,” Möttönen points out.

The study highlights the need to provide better support and information to children and adolescents who have suffered brain injuries, as well as their parents. This would help to ensure equal opportunities for education and success in life.

The research article Impact of childhood traumatic brain injury on educational attainment in Finland from 1998 to 2018: A retrospective register-based nationwide cohort study was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology on 23 March 2025.