A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt producing transient alteration in mental status, which may include brief loss of consciousness, confusion, or amnesia. Standard imaging is typically normal.
Most concussions resolve within weeks, though a subset of patients report persistent symptoms.
Alternative Names:
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, mTBI
Why it Matters?
Concussion claims are contested because the diagnosis often rests on self-reported symptoms and standard imaging is unremarkable. The evidence that matters is contemporaneous: emergency department records documenting mental status, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and whether loss of consciousness was actually recorded rather than reported months later. Persistent symptom claims turn on neuropsychological testing with validity measures and a documented pre-injury baseline.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Can a concussion be diagnosed with normal imaging?
What contemporaneous records matter most?
