different parts of the brain. Since the outer portion of the brain may be working normally, deficits in brain function may not be noticed until complex tasks are undertaken. Complicated tasks are usually not required when one is hospitalized, so deficiencies may not be discovered until the injured person returns home. An experienced physician or neuropsychologist, skilled in cognitive perceptual motor testing, is best to diagnose a mild closed head injury. Standardized neuropsychological tests evaluate the function of many areas of the brain and can show abnormalities that other medical tests cannot detect. These tests are very important in the evaluation and detection of mild traumatic brain injury. Deep areas of the brain are frequently injured in crashes.
Because some of the symptoms of head injuries are similar to those of depression, a head injury diagnosis is frequently overlooked. As a result, testing should be repeated to obtain accurate findings because many factors, including distraction, illness, or depression, can affect the outcome of testing. Symptoms of Brain Injury
Sometimes tests have to be repeated for diagnosis.
Although every brain injury is inherently different, common symptoms of head injury include cognitive (thinking) problems such as: • Difficulty paying attention and concentrating • Problems making sense of what has been read or seen • Forgetting things • Finding it difficult to learn or complete tasks • Confusion in finding places or following geographical directions • Unclear thinking • Inflexibility • Diminished organizational skills
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