Head Injury - Diagnosis

Some types of head injuries can be diagnosed based on the symptoms listed above. It is often difficult, however, to know how serious a head injury is. The fact that a person has a headache following a head injury, for example, does not really indicate how serious that injury is.

The extent of a head injury can be determined in a number of ways. The Glasgow Coma Scale is based on a patient's ability to open his or her eyes, give answers to questions, and respond to physical stimuli, such as a doctor's touch. A person can score anywhere from three to fifteen points on this scale. A score of less than eight points on the scale suggests the presence of serious brain damage.

Patients who are suspected of having severe brain damage should be referred to a medical specialist. The specialist will usually recommend a series of tests. The most common of these tests are the computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and electroencephalogram (EEG, pronounced ih-LEK-tro-in-SEH-fuh-lo-gram). These tests provide visual images of the brain and of the electrical activity taking place within the brain. They are often helpful in discovering damage to the brain.

Some forms of head injury are still difficult to diagnose, even with the best available tests. In such cases, the advice of experts in head injuries may be necessary for diagnosis and treatment.