Mild traumatic brain injury and the postconcussive syndrome

As many as 80% of patients with mild traumatic brain injury initially suffe r from symptoms that are attributed to the postconcussion syndrome. Symptom s include headache, dizziness, difficulty with memory or concentration, dep ression, and peripheral vestibular system dysfunction. Well-motivated, youn g, male patients are at lowest risk for the postconcussion syndrome. By I y ear after injury, 85% of patients have a full recovery; patients with sympt oms persisting for longer than 1 year are classified as suffering from the persistent postconcussive syndrome. Predictors of the persistent postconcus sive syndrome include female gender, low socioeconomic status, other severe illness, alcohol abuse, and prior mild traumatic brain injury. Despite com mon beliefs, patients with ongoing Litigation do not necessarily have a hig her prevalence of postconcussion syndrome or persistent postconcussive synd rome than do other such patients.