In 20% of concussion cases, symptoms last for years

As an attorney representing car accident victims with traumatic brain injury, I often tell people that many brain injuries, including concussions, will heal and that many people can definitely go on to lead normal, productive lives.

But

Some cant. Unfortunately, theres an unlucky percentage of people with brain injuries and concussions whose symptoms dont resolve and who dont get better. This creates tremendous problems for them functioning in society. Closely connected with this is the problem of how many of these people with concussion injuries are treated by many doctors unfamiliar with TBI. Ive previously written about the societal cost of traumatic brain injury when TBI and concussion are not properly diagnosed.

The key difference between an injury to the brain, and an injury to the body is that brain injury is a process, not an event. Dr. Brent Masel makes this point quite clearly in his excellent article on traumatic brain injury. In fact, brain injury symptoms can often, get worse, intensify, change and evolve over time into new symptoms for the unlucky person with a brain injury or concussion.

A doctor quoted in a recent article on American Medical News: More brain injury awareness needed to curb concussions, CDC says, makes an important point about the people who do get better and those who do not. This echoes my point above about the very significant minority of people who suffer head injuries and who do not get better. Instead they have lingering symptoms. According to Robert Cantu, MD, a clinical professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine:

Concussion symptoms, including difficulty thinking clearly, dizziness and irritability, often resolve within a week or two, research shows. But in 20% of the cases, symptoms last for months or years, which can negatively affect peoples performance in school or at work.

Dr. Cantu is co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, a joint venture of Boston University School of Medicine and the Sports Legacy Institute.

To call [a concussion] a mild injury is very inappropriate, Cantu said.

As a lawyer who represents people injured in automobile accidents, Ive obviously seen my share of serious brain injuries. And my own experience reflects the medical literature.

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In 20% of concussion cases, symptoms last for years