Atypical psychological responses to traumatic brain injury: PTSD and beyond

Abstract

Clinical And forensic evaluators need to be able to recognize variations of syndromes that “don't read the textbooks.” Atypical presentations of postconcussion syndrome (PCS) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have the potential to cause much confusion in diagnosis, treatment planning and legal adjudication, if not correctly recognized. This paper reviews the typical and atypical presentations of PCS, PTSD, and other psychological responses to TBI and other traumatic disability syndromes that may be encountered in clinical practice. Throughout, the emphasis is on the optimum combination of parsimony and comprehensiveness in diagnostic and clinical decision-making.