Prior Injuries and Concussion Evaluation: What to Disclose

Who this is for: Written for patients with earlier concussions, migraines, ADHD or other history, and for the providers and attorneys interpreting their results.

Most patients have a history

Earlier concussions from sports or falls, migraines, ADHD, learning differences, anxiety or depression, sleep disorders and medications that affect alertness are all common. Some patients worry that mentioning them will make providers or insurers dismiss their current symptoms. In fact, a complete history makes evaluation more accurate, not less.

A complete history makes evaluation more accurate, not less.

Why history matters for interpretation

Many of these conditions can affect test performance or produce symptoms that overlap with concussion: headaches, attention problems, sleep changes. The reviewing physician needs to know about them to interpret results fairly and to separate what is longstanding from what has changed. Without that context, a pre-existing difference could be misread.

The key question: what changed?

The most useful information is often a comparison between how the patient functioned before the crash and after. Did headaches go from occasional to daily? Did someone who managed ADHD well suddenly start struggling at work? Ask patients and family members for specific before-and-after examples. School records, work evaluations or earlier test results can add context when available.

Related in this series: Baseline vs. Post-Injury Concussion Testing, Standardized vs. Subjective Findings in Concussion Cases and Intake Questions That Surface Hidden Head Injuries in PI Clients. For the full overview, start with our guide, Concussion After a Crash.

How to document it

Record each condition, when it was diagnosed, how it was managed and its status before the accident. Then document new or worsened symptoms since the crash, with dates and severity, and include all of it in the referral.

Consider one example. A patient with a long history of occasional migraines reports that since the crash, headaches come daily, arrive with light sensitivity and trouble concentrating, and no longer respond to her usual medication. Documenting both her baseline and the change gives the physician exactly what is needed.

Detailed before-and-after notes protect the patient from having real changes dismissed.

For patients

Be honest about your history. It will not hurt your care. It helps your provider understand what is new and decide what comes next.

For attorneys

Pre-existing conditions in a client's records are a clinical matter for treating providers. Braintree reports describe findings in context and do not address legal questions about prior conditions.

Related reading:
How mobile testing works Concussion & TBI testing For patients Service areas boat and watercraft accident head injuries florida concussion red flags er now