Measuring the duration of post traumatic amnesia

Abstract

A simple quantitative test is described for measuring the duration of post-traumatic amnesia. It was used in a study of 336 patients with closed head injury; and the result matched closely the independent estimates of experienced neurosurgeons. A systematic procedure of this kind is clinically useful in its sensitivity to fluctuations or deterioration in the patient's mental state. It could also be used with advantage in multi-center research by providing a standard criterion for the assessment of post-traumatic amnesia.