[Quintessant]

Hallo. About a year ago, I was in a bar and I fainted (syncope), fell backward and received a laceration to the scalp about 2 centimetres long on the back of my head due to a wooden step behind me. I was lifted from the ground by people in the bar and came around. I don't think I was unconscious for more than a minute or two. I remember everything until the moment of fainting, and then everything from a few minutes after. After the injury I repeated myself a few times asking what had happened and was generally confused. My memory of the time is a bit blurry, though I can remember a few minutes after the injury. I may have just been in shock.

A taxi was called and I went to the hospital. In the taxi, about ten minutes after the injury, I was fully lucid. A doctor saw me at the hospital, determined that I didn't have a skull fracture and fixed the laceration. He decided I was fluent and lucid enough to not send me for any scans. He asked me questions and did some tests - I don't remember what, exactly. I described that I had no retrograde amnesia (prior to injury) and only momentary anterograde amnesia (after the injury).

My question is: is it likely I suffered concussion or post-concussive syndrome? Because I fainted immediately before the injury (and in so doing caused the injury), it is impossible to distinguish the unconsciousness caused by syncope and any unconsciousness caused by concussion. Also, because I fainted I am not clear as to what happened: whether I fell backward and landed with my head on the lowest wooden step, or whether I crumpled to the ground and hit my head secondarily. The outcome of hitting my head full-whack is different to having fallen to the ground and scraped my head. Are lacerations common with blunt blows to the head?

I did not have any especially noticable symptoms that indicated concussion: I was not nauseous and did not have a splitting headache. I may have had a mild headache for everything going on, but it is not memorable.

In terms of post-concussive syndrome, I have not especially noticed cognitive impairment. My memory has always been poor, but I don't think I've noticed it getting worse. Would I be aware if my cognition is impaired relative to pre-injury? Would I realise that my memory, concentration or intelligence are less now than they were before the injury? My job depends on cognition and this is the main reason for my concern.

I have suffered some depression and anxiety in the last year, but I suffered both before the injury and there is no indication that this is the cause.

For some context: I have not had any other concussion (that I am aware of), and have done quite well at university in the year since (I am a neuroscience student).

I do seem to have some post-traumatic stress disorder relating to the injury. I think about the injury almost every day and I am concerned that it may have had lasting effect on my cognition.

So my essential question is, is it likely I was concussed (despite no nausea). If I was concussed, it was mild since my unconsciousness was momentarily and my amnesia is ten minutes at most. In this case, would any lasting cognitive impairment be expected? Would I notice cognitive impairment?

Any help, information or advice would be very much appreciated.