Measuring the duration of post traumatic amnesia.

Abstract

A simple quantitative test is described for measuring the duration of post-traumatic amnesia. It was used in a study of 336 patients with closed head injury; and the results matched closely the independent estimates of experienced neurosurgeons. A systematic procedure of this kind is clinically useful in its sensitivity to fluctuations or deterioration in the patient's mental state. It could also be used with advantage in multi-centre research by providing a standard criterion for the assessment of post-traumatic amnesia.