Post Concussion Syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a complex disorder and the complete pathophysiology is still not completely understood. PCS can be subcategorized into physiological PCS, vestibulo-ocular PCS, cervicogenic PCS, and mood-related PCS based on predominant clinical signs and symptoms. Physiological PCS is the most classic type of PCS and is due to global metabolic dysfunction in the brain which affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation. This is suspected to be the cause for symptom-limited exercise intolerance which is a characteristic finding in this subtype. In this chapter we discuss the definition of PCS and the main subtypes. We further discuss possible causes for symptoms of PCS based on research that have studied this disorder using advanced imaging, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular metrics, and intracranial pressure. Finally, we discuss the treatment of PCS and the possible long-term effects.