Concussions and seizures

Pediatrics for Parents, April, 2002

Any hit to the head may be result in a concussion. (A concussion is a bruised brain.) About one of every 70 people who have a concussion also have a post-concussive seizure. Technically speaking, a post-concussive seizure is "a convulsive episode that begins within seconds of impact associated with concussive brain injury."

A post-concussive seizure is always brief (less than two minutes long) and has a very short post-ictal (after seizure) period of loss of consciousness, drowsiness, and perhaps confusion.

Until recently, doctors believed that a post-concussive seizure was epileptic in nature and required treatment with anti-epileptic medicine. They also thought that having a post-concussive seizure increased the chances of developing epilepsy. A recent study found that these concerns are unfounded.

These doctors found that impact seizures themselves are benign and don't recur. Studies such as CAT scans and MRIs are normal, and no medication is needed to treat them.

The real concern is bleeding inside the skull--an intracranial hemorrhage. It may cause a seizure and other problems such as declining mental status, unusual drowsiness, coordination difficulties, and other neurological problems.

The symptoms of a concussion may last for weeks or even months. The headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and trouble concentrating. There's no treatment for these problems except time.

Academy of Emergency Medicine, 8/01.