Mild traumatic brain injuries occur frequently in the general population, are often associated with pronounced initial symptoms, but typically are not associated with long-term problems. A post-concussion syndrome can occur following a traumatic brain injury of any severity. The etiology of this syndrome can be the biological effects of the injury, psychological factors related to the injury, or a combination of both. Unfortunately, this syndrome can be easily misdiagnosed in patients who are not suffering the direct or indirect biological or psychological effects of the original injury. This is because the symptoms, and the syndrome, are nonspecific. They occur frequently in healthy adults, patients with depression, and patients with chronic pain. In brain injury litigation, the complexity lies in the accurate identification and quantification of long-term physical, psychological, and cognitive problems, and the apportionment of causation.

The specific learning objectives will be to (a) examine the post-concussion syndrome, and to discuss the complexities associated with the diagnosis, and misdiagnosis, of this condition; (b) compare brain injury, psychological injury, and the overlap within the litigation context; and (c) describe how neuropsychological evaluations, by their design, can lead to the misdiagnosis of cognitive impairment in forensic settings.

If you wish to attend our workshop, please contact Maureen Bayer @ (905) 761-6306.