Assessment of verbal and visual episodic memory, post-concussive complaints, and their relathionship following mild traumatic brain injury

Neuropsychological deficits following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are usually discrete and sometimes difficult to detect. The aim of this study was to evaluate relationships between episodic memory and post-concussive symptoms (PCS). The sample was composed of 55 participants (aged 20 to 64 years), including 25 patients with mTBI and 30 healthy control participants. Participants completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF), and questionnaires measuring the intensity of memory complaints, fatigue, and sleep quality. Analysis of the data revealed: (a) no significant differences between both groups in episodic memory performance, in either the verbal or visual modalities (b) the intensity of PCS was significantly higher than expected in the normal population (no PCS symptoms), (c) no significant association was found between PCS and memory performance. These results suggest that, despite the fact that patients with mTBI complain of significant memory difficulties and PCS, the neuropsychological tests most commonly used in clinics, do not objectify the memory complaints.