Which brain injury is characterized by rapid onset of symptoms including altered LOC, brief loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, irritability, repetitive questioning, vision problems, and amnesia?

• A. Concussion
• B. Anterograde amnesia
• C. Retrograde amnesia
• D. Cerebral contusion

Answer: (A)

Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury from head impact that causes temporary disruption of brain function. The symptoms described—altered level of consciousness or confusion, brief loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, irritability, repetitive questioning, vision problems, and amnesia around the event—fit this pattern well. They reflect diffuse, short-lived brain dysfunction rather than a structural bruise or a single focal deficit. Memory issues can involve retrograde amnesia (trouble recalling events before the injury) or anterograde amnesia (difficulty forming new memories after the injury), but the overall picture is characteristic of a concussion.

This differs from a cerebral contusion, which involves bruising of brain tissue and typically produces more localized, lasting deficits and may require imaging to assess. Amnesia by itself describes a memory impairment, not the injury pattern; it can accompany concussion but does not define it.