Hi Melanie,

I am sorry to hear that you had a concussion. I do think that you had one by the way.

I think that the word concussion means any injury caused by a trauma to the brain which results in any symptoms, however temporary, of altered brain functioning. This would include confusion, a feeling of brain fog, not being able to think properly, types of amnesia (e.g. post-traumatic) and certainly would include unconsciousness.

So, given that you were unconscious you did suffer a concussion, at least according to my understanding of the word.

None of the above means that the concussion is necessarily detectable, as you put it, "by a computer". The brain damage is often on a scale that cannot be detected by an MRI for example. It is not likely that if you had gone to hospital doctors would have used a machine of some description connected to a computer that gave the readout "concussion". So, from that point of view the fact, that it was 2 or 3 years ago does not alter the situation. You did have a concussion.

The question is: To what extent are your current memory problems due to it?

Do you have any other ongoing symptoms, such as nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue? If not, you may just have to deal with memory issues in the same way that someone who has not had a concussion would e.g. writing things down, making lists etc. There may be nothing that you can do specific to a concussion.

I sense that you may be thinking that if a doctor knew that you had had a concussion then he would give you some sort of concussion treatment and your memory problems would go away.

I am afraid that even when the doctors know that you have had a concussion they do not know what treatment to give you. In the end, most of us just have to cope with the symptoms. So, don't be worried that by not going to the hospital and being diagnosed with concussion that you are missing out on something. In truth, it probably would not have helped you.

You may never know whether your concussion had an effect on your memory. You could speak to a doctor about this for reassurance. In the end, you are probably going to have to see if you have memory limitations and, if you do, then work out a coping strategy. I am sure that there are people who could help you to do this, but I don't think that knowing the cause is going to help.

Best of luck.

Concussed Scientist