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).
Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
The test, which all NHL players undergo, evaluates the athlete's neurocognitive state which includes brain processing speed, memory, and visual motor skills. If the player suffers a concussion, these test results are then used in order to compare their previous neurocognitive state to that of their possible concussed state. Baseline testing is used because concussions do not show up on CT or MRI scans due to it not being a structural brain injury. Testing is necessary because symptoms vary from person to person. These symptoms range from nausea, dizziness, concentration problems and/or fuzzy vision. The testing is done by the UPMC Sports Concussion group on the computer program ImPACT.