Post-concussion symptoms have long been thought to be more severe and prolonged in people who have pre-existing psychological problems. This has been shown to be the case in the military personnel. A new study confirmed this observation in the first prospective study. Over 2,000 high school and college athletes in Wisconsin were asked to answer 18 questions (Brief Symptom Inventory-18, or BSI-18) and then were followed for three years. The 18 questions, which are listed below, addressed the presence of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and somatization (excessive bodily sensations). In the ensuing three years, 127 athletes sustained a concussion. The concussion had to be diagnosed by a licensed athletic trainer according to the Department of Defence definition, which includes alteration of mental status with associated headache, nausea, vomiting, balance difficulties, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, and other. These athletes were again evaluated two and six weeks later. Eighty percent of concussed athletes were men. The mean duration of symptoms was five days. Ninety five percent of them recovered completely within a month. High somatization score on the BSI-18 questionnaire predicted prolonged duration of symptoms, while no correlation was found with the years of playing a sport, the type of sport (most played football), number of prior concussions, migraines, ADHD, or the grade point average. Another factor that delayed recovery was the initial symptom severity after the concussion. Most of the concussions were mild with less than 10% of athletes losing consciousness.

An interesting and unexplained fact, not examined in this study, is that milder concussions tend to cause more severe symptoms than severe ones.

This was a very thorough study, but it was relatively small, so it is possible that other pre-concussion factors may also delay recovery. One such factor is pre-existing migraines. I see many patients, adults and children, who suffered from migraines and after a concussion have worsening of their migraines or new daily persistent headaches. If they themselves have never suffered from migraines, often their mother or siblings have a history of migraines, suggesting genetic predisposition to migraines.

Treatment of post-concussion symptoms, include typical therapies employed in migraine sufferers, including aerobic exercise, biofeedback, magnesium supplementation, Botox injections, and a variety of medications.

Brief Symptom Inventory-18

The Somatization dimension
01. Faintness or dizziness
04. Pains in heart or chest
07. Nausea or upset stomach
10. Trouble getting your breath
13. Numbness or tingling in parts of your body
16. Feeling weak in parts of your body
The depression dimension
02. Feeling no interest in things
05. Feeling lonely
08. Feeling blue
11. Feeling of worthlessness
14. Feeling hopeless about the future
17. Thoughts of ending your life
General anxiety
03. Nervousness or shakiness inside
06. Feeling tense or keyed up
15. Feeling so restless you couldn’t sit still
Panic
09. Suddenly scared for no reason
12. Spells of terror or panic
18. Feeling fearful