A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF 39 PATIENTS WITH WHIPLASH INJURY

Introduction - The acute symptoms after whiplash traumas can be explai ned by the neck sprain, but the pathogenesis of the ''late whiplash sy ndrome'' and the reason why only some people have persistent symptoms more than 6 months is still unknown. Material and methods - Thirty-fou r consecutive cases of whiplash injury were examined clinically three times; within 14 days, after 1 month and finally 7 months postinjury. In addition, MRI of the brain and the cervical spine, neuropsychologic al tests and motor evoked potentials (MEP) were done one month postinj ury and repeated after 6 months, if abnormalities were found. Results - The total recovery rate (asymptomatic patients) was 29% after 7 mont hs. MRI was repeated in 6 patients. The correlation between MRI and th e clinical findings was poor. Cognitive dysfunction as a symptom of br ain injury was not found. Stress at the same time predicted more sympt oms at follow-up. All MEP examinations were normal. Conclusion - In th is study, long-lasting distress and poor outcome were more related to the occurrence of stressful life events than to clinical and paraclini cal findings.