Abstract

The author discloses a personal history of undiagnosed mild traumatic brain injury (MBTI) and identifies a typical course and progression of this condition. He advocates a careful inquiry for possible head injury whenever the clinical history shows an original period of normal functioning, a progression of disturbance over time, multiple diagnoses, and poor response to treatment with medication. He discusses the use of quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) in assessing possible mild traumatic brain injury, describes typical features of quantitative electroencephalography in mild traumatic brain injury, and cautions about the frequency of false negatives. He provides two case histories showing the progression of disturbing cognitive, personality, and impulse control problems following early head injuries.