ABSTRACT
The vast majority of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases are normal on clinical neuroimaging. Computed tomography (CT) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have broadened the understanding of mild TBI in important ways, though these methods leave many unanswered questions. CT remains the clinical standard, though in the case of mild TBI or concussion, CT has very little benefit and, if indeed imaging is required, MRI should be considered given its markedly improved sensitivity. Although some individuals with mild TBI report symptoms months and even years following a concussion, the available longitudinal literature indicates that these symptoms are less likely to be related to the mild TBI as time goes by and that the natural course of mild TBI is recovery. In contrast to standard clinical imaging, recent advances in experimental neuroimaging techniques promise new insights into the diagnosis, functional outcomes, and treatment of mild TBI patients.
