Postconcussion Syndrome: A Complex and Underdiagnosed Clinical Entity

Postconcussion syndrome (PCS) is a complex process affecting the brain and is induced by different pathophysiological traumatic biomechanical forces. It is also known as mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and is generated by a force transmitted to the brain, either directly or indirectly due to a phenomenon of acceleration/deceleration with highly variable clinical manifestations. Frequency of MTBI may be very high, and it is believed to be present in up to 75% of patients who suffer from head trauma. However, this frequency is difficult to estimate with certainty as many patients who suffer from PCS do not seek medical attention because they do not think the problem requires any specific care. The operational criteria for identifying that a patient has an MTBI includes one or more of the following manifestations: confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness for 30 minutes or less, amnesia, focal neurologic signs, seizures, or presence of an intracerebral lesion that does not require surgery and a score of 13–15 in the Glasgow Coma Scale.