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Many people attending casualty departments because of a head injury will have been knocked out. If this is the case, and they appear to have returned to normal afterwards, they are said to have been concussed. This means that for a short time the effects of the head injury were significant enough to stop the brain working properly and as a result they lost consciousness. Whilst CT scans may fail to show up any abnormalities in such cases, there may be tiny areas of damage to the brain which could have a major impact on recovery. Some people will not be able to return to school, college or work because of the effects of the concussion. Where concussion has occurred, doctors will usually classify the injury as moderate.

What are the effects of concussion?
They may take many forms. The following symptoms are common:

• Headaches which do not follow any particular pattern, though they may be
  worse towards the end of the day.
• Loss of concentration with a poor attention span, such that the person loses track of conversations, films or books.
• Loss of memory. After significant concussion people will usually be unable
  to recall the event and a period of time after it. They may also find that
  their memory for recent events is impaired.
• The person’s personality may be altered. Most commonly they may be more
  irritable or short-tempered.
• There may be other specific problems, such as loss of sex drive, loss of
  appetite, a general apathy or disinterest in life and a lack of self-esteem and
  self-confidence.

Does everyone experience all of these symptoms?
It is quite common for people to experience one or two of these symptoms after a relatively minor head injury, but rarely all of them together.

What can be done about these symptoms?
Most of these post-concussion symptoms will disappear in time. This may take up to six months or even a year. Very rarely it may take longer. These symptoms can often be misinterpreted, particularly by workmates, and if they are not recognised for what they are, they can cause unnecessary problems for the person concerned. If the symptoms are causing major problems and the affected person and their family and friends are finding it difficult to cope, the doctor may refer them to see a clinical psychologist. He or she will make a full assessment of the problems and may be able to help by using a variety of techniques aimed at re-training the memory and by teaching relaxation techniques.