OTHER ISSUES

There is no clearly defined time when Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) testing should stop and PTA testing should start. However, on theoretical grounds, looking at the GCS scoring chart one could assume that testing could take place when a patient's GCS Motor Score equals 6 (i.e. the patient is able to follow commands). But there also needs to be a degree of consistency associated with these scores, perhaps a period of 24 hours would suffice.

Retrograde amnesia is the other amnesia noted in the head injury literature. It is the condition where the patient can not remember events for a period before the accident. The Westmead PTA Scale does not attempt to measure this type of amnesia.

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