Post-concussion syndrome. Brain damage, constitutional characteristics and environmental reactions.
A 9-year-old boy was referred for child-psychiatric examination because of failure in school, restlessness, impulsiveness and concentration difficulties. The symptomatology was ascribed to a previous severe head injury and defined as a post-concussion syndrome. During the examination it was found that he had an identical twin brother without a history of brain-damage. A comparison of the patient and his twin brother with the same examination methods at the age of 9 and 18 gave similar results. These indicate that factors other than brain damage also could explain a clinical picture with school failure, restlessness, impulsiveness and concentration difficulties in a schoolboy. The question arises whether a clinical picture of this kind are the symptoms of stress among vulnerable boys in reaction to excessive demands from their psychosocial environment.
Nylander
I
I
Karolinska Institute, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Göran's Children's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Rydelius
P A
PA
D000293:Adolescent; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D012931:Social Environment; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013577:Syndrome