[dhope]

I may have already read the answer to my question here but don't remember -- I fell hitting my head, diagnosed with pcs/tbi. The hospital did a scan and the doc followed with an mri which showed my brain as normal. So, the question is this -- because the mri is normal are all the problems that I am having purely psychological and not caused by my accident???

[GlassHead]

An MRI only rules out serious health threats such as bleeding or major structural damage to the brain and is not suited for the type of injuries people with PCS experience.

Alot of people suffering a concussion/PCS do however experience depression or anxiety as a symptom. If this specific issue is a problem to you I cannot say, but having a negative MRI does not automatically make them psychological.

-GlassHead

[Mark in Idaho]

Imaging will rarely show any indication of a concussion. The doctors do them for two reasons. They are concerned about liability so they will order a CT Scan. If the patient still complains of symptoms, they will schedule an MRI.

Neither will show the microscopic damage from a concussion.

The common symptoms from a concussion have an overlap between physiological and psychological. because of this overlap, many doctors will focus on the psychological causes because they can not explain the physiological causes.

Either way, your symptoms are real. It is how you respond to them that can be a psychological event.

It is best to address each symptom individually.

If you have not already, list you worst symptoms and we can suggest ways to tolerate or reduce them. Coping skills are the most useful remedy.

My best to you.

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

Imaging will rarely show any indication of a concussion. The doctors do them for two reasons. They are concerned about liability so they will order a CT Scan. If the patient still complains of symptoms, they will schedule an MRI.

Neither will show the microscopic damage from a concussion.

The common symptoms from a concussion have an overlap between physiological and psychological. because of this overlap, many doctors will focus on the psychological causes because they can not explain the physiological causes.

Either way, your symptoms are real. It is how you respond to them that can be a psychological event.

It is best to address each symptom individually.

If you have not already, list you worst symptoms and we can suggest ways to tolerate or reduce them. Coping skills are the most useful remedy.

My best to you.

My Dr. didn't order an MRI because I was complaining of symptoms. My Dr. ordered an MRI because she was so worried about my speech, apparent level of cognitive functioning and behavior. She said, "I'm ordering you an MRI, because *this*
is not *you*!"