SEQUELAE OF MINOR HEAD-INJURY - THE NATURAL-HISTORY OF POST-CONCUSSIVE SYMPTOMS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND FOLLOW-UP

The character and natural history of post-concussive symptoms were stu died in two subject groups: patients admitted to hospital for observat ion following brief loss of consciousness (LOC) as a result of head in jury and patients who attended the accident unit after head injury but not were not admitted. Follow-up data were obtained from the hospital ized group at standardized out-patient interview and from the non-hosp italized group by postal questionnaire. Two- and 12-week data are pres ented on 24 hospitalized and 58 non-hospitalized patients. The type an d frequency of symptoms was similar in the two groups and rank orderin g was significantly correlated. However, the reduction in symptom scor es (number of symptoms) 12 weeks post-injury was significantly greater in the hospitalized than the non-hospitalized group. The possible sig nificance of this is discussed.