What Is Mild Traumatic Brain Inquiry and Post-Concussion Syndrome?
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Working Group’s operational definition of mBTI is: “Mild TBI in military operational settings is defined as an injury to the brain resulting from an external force and/or acceleration/deceleration mechanism from an event such as a blast, fall, direct impact, or motor vehicle accident which causes an alteration in mental status typically resulting in the temporally related onset of symptoms such as: headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness/balance problems, fatigue, insomnia/sleep disturbances, drowsiness, sensitivity to light/ noise, blurred vision, difficulty remembering, and/or difficulty concentrating” (p. 2). This mTBI definition is noteworthy and preferred (in my opinion) because of its requirement of an “alteration” of mental status, rather than a loss of consciousness (LOC). This is consistent with current research that suggests that a LOC may not be a common symptom in mTBI, despite the common perception that it is (McCrea, 2008). Post
