Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Postconcussion Syndrome

Abstract

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been referred to as a “silent epidemic” due to the problems experienced by patients post-injury, and very often they are not visible but may have profound consequences and cause life-long impairments in physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social functions. Mild TBI usually has a natural course of rapid resolution of symptoms within days or weeks. However a considerable proportion of patients will experience postconcussion symptoms for a prolonged period after injury (>3 months). The range of symptoms can be headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbance, difficulty to concentrate, memory loss, stress intolerance, light or sound sensibility, balance problems, anxiety, and depressive humor. The social burden of mTBI can be significant, and therefore, family education and counseling together with support of patients and carers by a transdisciplinary team is important for an effective rehabilitation.