Post-concussion syndrome
Though no universally accepted definition of postconcussive syndrome exists, most of the literature defines the syndrome as the development of at least 3 of the following symptoms: headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, impaired memory and concentration, insomnia, and lowered tolerance for noise and light. One complication in diagnosis is that symptoms of PCS also occur in people who have no history of head injury, but who have other medical and psychological complaints. In one study 64% of people with TBI, 11% of those with brain injuries, and 7% of those with other injuries met the DSM-IV criteria for post-concussion syndrome. Many of these PCS sufferers were misdiagnosed as having other unrelated conditions due to commonality of symptoms. (see diagnosis, below).
Rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire
Fatigue is the most frequently affirmed symptom of PCS included on the questionnaire, while double vision is the least affirmed. Some other neuropsychological tests do not include fatigue as a symptom of PCS, giving the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire an advantage in an "accurate" assessment of the condition. Severe fatigue has been reported in at least a third of a representative cohort of MTBI sufferers, and this symptom was associated with a significant limitation of the ability of sufferers to function normally in daily activities.