- Magnitude of insult varies
- Can be single event or multiple/recurrent
- Most common in childhood and older adults
- Falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports, work related, military conflict
- Prior concussion increases risk future concussion
- Acute (up to 72h after event): headache, N, V, light and noise sensitivity, balance problems, visual disturbances, confusion, amnesia, feeling slowed
- Sub-acute/chronic (days-to-weeks-to-months): persistent low grade headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, balance problems, dizziness, sound and light sensitivity, anxiety and depression, sleep problems, vision tracking problems, irritability, memory problems, problems reading
- Vast majority fully recover within days to weeks
- Exam findings are non-specific
- May have loss of consciousness and/or confusion
- Sometimes difficulty with smooth tracking w/eyes
- Sometimes difficulty w/balance
- Assess for injury to other areas of body (e.g. soft tissue/boney trauma, c spine injury, other) that might occur w/trauma