The Effect of Diagnostic Terminology on Cognitive, Emotional, and Post-concussive Sequelae Following Mild Brain Injury

Objective: We sought to determine whether the diagnostic terms 'mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)' and 'concussion' result in differences in perceived cognitive, emotional, and post-concussive sequelae.

Method: A total of 81 healthy university students (79% female; 69% of Asian descent) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: mTBI ( = 41), or concussion ( = 40), and were instructed to simulate on a battery of cognitive (Neuropsychological Assessment Battery - Screening Module), emotional (Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II), and post-concussive (Rivermead Postconcussive Symptoms Questionnaire) measures.

Results: There were no significant group differences between expected cognitive, emotional, or post-concussive consequences. However, both groups received poorer scores than the normative data.

Conclusions: These results suggest that diagnostic terminology does not appear to influence anticipated recovery following mild brain injury. However, the presentation of information about the injury itself may impact recovery outcomes. This study provides preliminary support for the potential negative effects that may arise as a result of providing participants with non-evidence based information about mild brain injuries.