Post-concussion Syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or occasionally a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Symptoms of PCS, which is the most common entity to be diagnosed in people who have suffered TBI, may occur in 38–80% of mild head injuries. A diagnosis may be made when symptoms resulting from concussion last for more than three months after the injury, or it may be made starting within a week or ten days of trauma. In late, persistent, or prolonged PCS (PPCS), symptoms last for over six months, or by other standards, three.

The condition can cause a variety of symptoms: physical, such as headache; cognitive, such as difficulty concentrating; and emotional and behavioral, such as irritability. As many of the symptoms in PCS are common to, or exacerbated by, other disorders, there is a risk of misdiagnosis. Though there is no treatment for PCS itself, symptoms can be treated; medications and physical and behavioral therapy may be used, and patients can be educated about symptoms and their usual prognosis. The majority of PCS cases disappear after a period of time.

It is not known what causes PCS symptoms to occur and persist, or why some people who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) develop PCS while others do not. The nature of the syndrome and the diagnosis itself have been the subject of intense debate since the 19th century. However, certain risk factors have been identified; for example, preexisting medical or psychological conditions, expectations of disability, and older age all increase the chances that someone will suffer PPCS. Physiological and psychological factors present before, during, and after the injury are all thought to be involved in the development of PCS.

Read more about Post-concussion Syndrome:  Signs and Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis, Epidemiology, History, Controversy

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