So I saw my doctor today and as someone here pointed out my CT scan came back completely normal.

I asked for an MRI and my doctor was not really keen on it saying it's expensive $450 but I insisted and got a referral for one, at least he wrote on it post concussion symptoms.

Anyway I always here of people getting them but I don't ever hear how it changes there treatment or prognosis, it's as though it's only for record keeping for research or whatever. My doctor said if anything shows up I could see a neurologist but what then?

An MRI is a waste of money except in rare specific situations. $450 is not the cost of an MRI. More likely $1000 to $1200. Maybe a health plan contracted discount could get the price down to $450 to $600.

A DTI MRI can confirm an injury but will not change the treatment. A normal, garden variety MRI will not show anything.

Why did you ask for/demand and MRI ? What was your goal ?

People get them because doctors are often trying to appease the concerns of the patient and sometimes, just to cover their liability. They use them to rule out serious but rare conditions. It is rare that there is a valid diagnostic reason for an MRI. At least it is not like a high dose of radiation like a CT Scan.

I forget what your current symptoms are that are causing you the most trouble and give you reason for requesting an MRI . Can you tell us ?

Apathy, lack of motivation, dizziness, headache although that's getting better. Nystagmus, mild stuttering, lack of concentration, mental fatigue, that's all I can think of off the top of my head, I try not to think about how I've changed.

Occasionally a scan will show other anomalies, in my case my CT showed a small 12mm area of 'indeterminable mass' which turned out to be benign after further investigation. The neuro surgeon said that it wasn't uncommon for this to happen. It added to my anxiety at the time though!

BDNF had already had a Normal CT Scan. His symptoms are not indicative of the need for further imaging. A DTI MRI would likely be worthwhile but just to confirm his symptoms. DTI MRI is very good at identifying injuries that cause cognitive dysfunctions. They do not help direct treatment, though.

The GP I saw told me that a MRI or CT scan will show if there's bleeding in the brain, basically if you are going to die. Lesser damage will not show up, she said.

My concussion happened in 2011, and the headaches got so bad a few months ago (throwing up) that I went to see a head trauma specialist. She showed me the CT scan of my brain in 3d and where blood buildup would be (on the outside near the edge of the skull), and there was just a thin layer as should be. But they did find other things. So even though it didn't help diagnose my concussion, it incidentally found other things (as someone else also posted about above).

If its only $450 cost to you, I'd do it, that's a bargain IMO. Mine was $1200 cost to me through insurance in 2011 ($3800 total bill) and its gone up since. Although if I knew how worthless MRI/CT scans were to this condition, I wouldn't have had it done (though I would have missed out on the other things).