A Primer on Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms

The existence of persistent postconcussion symptoms (PPCS) is controversial, and there is ongoing debate as to whether the etiology of PPCS is psychogenic or physiogenic. In addition, there is a lack of agreement on diagnostic definitions of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion and the terms are used interchangeably in the research literature. This can lead to confusion and make comparison of research findings on PPCS difficult. Having knowledge of factors related to PPCS can help inform school psychologists as they make decisions about students in the educational setting who report experiencing PPCS. This review will cover the definitions of mTBI and concussion, common postconcussion symptoms (PCS) and PPCS symptomology, and injury and noninjury factors related to PPCS. It will also discuss the implications for the practice of school psychology and list a number of related resources to help school psychologists better understand PPCS.