The following symptoms and complaints may indicate a commotio cerebri (concussion):
Leading symptoms
- Immediate loss of consciousness after trauma; maximum of 60 minutes; clouding of consciousness thereafter.
- Cephalgia (headache)
- Vertigo* (dizziness)
- Gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea (nausea), vomiting).
- Circulatory regulation disorders
- Amnesia, retrograde and antegrade – amnesia preceding and following the triggering event in time (memory impairment).
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
- Sensitivity to noise (hyperacusis)
Other evidence
One study demonstrated that children who had a concussion and showed abnormalities in terms of vestibular dysfunction (vestibulo-ocular reflex dysfunction or abnormalities in tandem gait) during the initial examination took longer to return to school (average 59 versus 6 days). This group achieved complete symptom freedom much later than children without vestibular dysfunction after trauma (106 versus 29 days). Furthermore, the children with vestibular symptoms also performed worse on neurologic tests and took a longer period of time to overcome their cognitive impairments.
