Unmarked Detour: EEG and MRI No Help in Treating Concussion

When her daughter Heidi began experiencing a new concussion symptom - what she described as a "buzzy feeling" which rendered her temporarily unable to move for 60- to 90-seconds at a time - Dorothy Bedford was scared.  Subsequent testing, including a resting EEG, 48-hour "walkabout" EEG, and standard MRI, found nothing, because, as Dorothy later learned, such diagnostic tools are usually of little value in identifying or treating concussion.  While Heidi's symptoms would eventually clear, it was only after seeking a second opinion from a concussion specialist in Boston, who assured her that Heidi was progressing towards full recovery, that Bedford's worries lessened.

For the series, "Unmarked Detour," click here.