Clinically, medical professionals assess TBI by taking a thorough history and completing a neurological examination looking for signs and symptoms of TBI in order to classify it appropriately. A TBI is diagnosed if one or more of the following clinical signs is noted after head trauma:
- A decreased level of consciousness or a loss of consciousness after the injury
- Alterations of mental state (e.g., confusion)
- Post-traumatic amnesia
- Neurological deficits (e.g., loss of balance, slurred speech, visual loss)
- An intracranial lesion
A computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain may be done to check for any head or brain injuries that require neurosurgical intervention.[1]
References
- ^Silverberg ND, Iverson GL, , Cogan A, Dams-O-Connor K, Delmonico R, Graf MJP, Iaccarino MA, Kajankova M, Kamins J, McCulloch KL, McKinney G, Nagele D, Panenka WJ, Rabinowitz AR, Reed N, Wethe JV, Whitehair V, , Anderson V, Arciniegas DB, Bayley MT, Bazarian JJ, Bell KR, Broglio SP, Cifu D, Davis GA, Dvorak J, Echemendia RJ, Gioia GA, Giza CC, Hinds SR, Katz DI, Kurowski BG, Leddy JJ, Sage NL, Lumba-Brown A, Maas AI, Manley GT, McCrea M, Menon DK, Ponsford J, Putukian M, Suskauer SJ, van der Naalt J, Walker WC, Yeates KO, Zafonte R, Zasler ND, Zemek RThe American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Diagnostic Criteria for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.Arch Phys Med Rehabil.(2023-May-19)