Hi,

We are new to this support group and wanted to know what knowledge and experience you all have with CT scans and MRI's as tools for recovering from concussions.

It seems like for most people they get a "clear" scan or MRI, even though they clearly are struggling with many symptoms. We are very hesitant to do either due to the high radiation levels for the brain with a CT scan (they have 100x the radiation of a chest x-ray and children's brains are so much more vulnerable with still developing). With an MRI - our son would need to be under general anesthesia because he is so young and would need to stay still.

History - Our 5 year old son suffered a concussion a month ago and has been experiencing post-concussion syndrome symptoms. We think he fell off a large trampoline and either hit his head on the concrete or on the metal frame (we didn't see it and he doesn't remember what happened or where he was at the time). We feel terrible as it was irresponsible on our part to be letting him play in this unsafe setting at a friend's house.

His symptoms since the the concussion were headaches the first week and then he was symptom free for several days. Ten days later, he fell off a bench and hit his head on a tile floor. He was scared and said it hurt, but 10 minutes later he said he was fine. However, the next morning he woke up with severe pain in his forehead and continues to have intermittent forehead pain and a bunch of other symptoms started that he didn't have before - disrupted sleep patterns (not sleeping as much as he used to and tired), behavioral changes (more irritable, anxious, mood swings, low tolerance for stress), zoned out, and cognitive changes (stuttering, problems with memory, delayed processing, problems with paying attention, confusion etc.).

He is getting rest (as much as we can possibly get a 5 year old boy to rest!) and very low stimulation, and has a very healthy diet with many of the recommended supplements mentioned for brain healing.

Any feedback would be helpful.

Thanks!
Joshie's parents