Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

john,

First, don't waste your breath asking your neuro. As I said, he does not know the answer. Plus, what symptoms are you seeing the neuro for ? I thought your only symptom was occasional head aches. You said "Not just the single simple question "is 100% recovery possible" as I do know that, yes, doctors will usually say yes based on the patient's usual layman understanding." I don't think the patient's usual layman understanding has anything to do with how a neuro will answer your question. Even your doc with special training in concussions will say Yes. They do not know any different.

But, I expect you will keep asking this question so you can get a number of answers that agree with your opinion.

I take great exception to you terming my comments as only my opinion. I have been seriously reading the research for over 15 years. The research from the 70's was repeated in the 90's with the same result. As I said, even newer research with the latest and greatest diagnostic tools have confirmed the older research. The research is conclusive. There is no way newer technologies can disprove what has already be demonstrated. Newer technologies will not show the changes in qEEG/AEP/VEP to be erroneous. High Tesla MRI's can image the damage long after an perceived appearance of recovery. I am not adding the comment that the brain does not heal 100% as my observation. The studies make this statement in their scientific conclusions. It a study were to say less than such an affirmative statement, I would only repeat it as studies suggest, not studies state or studies show. And, scientific studies routinely make that distinction. Often, when they make a 'the study suggests' comment, they also comment about the need to study the issue further using a more refined study protocol.

Some of the long term symptoms of brain injury are in thought processes. A common one is called rigidity of thought. It is a thought process where it becomes difficult to over-rule existing thought processes. It can be compared to OCD like issues. Anxiety or a focus on a single issue is also a common symptom. In MY perspective, it APPEARS that you have not been able to accept comments I have made nor take those comments and apply them in a logical way to come to a conclusion. Now, you have taken that same comment and made it into an accusation versus an observation from my perspective.

Regarding nicotine, the fact that it is vasoconstrictive HIGHLY suggests that it can effect recovery that requires good blood perfusion. Research shows great value to getting good blood perfusion in the brain to recover from brain injuries. One of the key struggles the injured brain has is clearing toxins from injury and metabolic wastes. Only the capillaries supply blood to the individual cells. Larger vasculature is only for blood distribution. There are plenty of concussion issues needing research that make any research about nicotine out of the question.

HBOT imaging research is often used to promote HBOT for concussions based solely on the observation that HBOT causes capillary regeneration. They can image this capillary regeneration. They tie this capillary regeneration as important for concussion recovery based on the known need for good capillary perfusion. Logic would suggest that anything that reduces capillary perfusion as counter to optimal healing.

Regarding your other history. Your demand that I ignore that when answering your question is like the patient who asks his doctor if he will be able to dance after his leg heals. When the doctor answers "Yes," the patient responds, "Great, I never could before."

I am not making a judgement about your past. The fact that you overcame that period is a giant feather in your cap in my view.

btw, I do understand these issues. I lost an uncle and great uncle to alcohol. I have also read the research about how alcohol affects the brain long term. It is most damaging to the brain when abused before the age of 25, the younger, the greater the risk to the brain.

Doctors take medical histories because those histories matter. I am sure you have been taught the importance of getting accurate medical histories.

The reason I brought it up this last time was to emphasize how the brain changes how it functions based on things as simple as nicotine and alcohol. The neurotransmitters and multitude of chemical receptors in the brain can quickly become accustom to the presence of things like nicotine, alcohol, drugs (legal and illegal), sex hormones and related pleasure chemicals, and such. It is often extremely difficult to change how the brain responds to these issues.

It is known that PTSD causes physiological changes to the brain. They believe these changes to be permanent.

You still have not explained why this question is so important if your only symptom is head aches. What symptoms do you still need recovery from ?