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).
Posterior cord syndrome
It has been difficult to make any breakthroughs in diagnosis and/or treatment of PCS as symptoms are not specific in nature and can vary based on the exact location of spinal cord lesions. In addition, the demographics of patients suffering from PCS are widespread as the onset of symptoms typically follows a traumatic event. Additionally, research has suffered setbacks because PCS is extremely rare with few documented cases, unlike anterior spinal cord injury.