Ideally, everyone would have an extensive neurological work up prior to reaching any diagnosis. I am sorry this is, too often, not the case.

I, too, have had repeated testing for TLE. I have had approx. 20 EEGs, over the years, looking for TLE. We have never been able to document TLE activity.

This is a condition that is difficult to diagnose. As I understand this, there is not yet an adequate method for optimal testing for TLE. There are Temporal Lobe leads which are used in an EEG evaluation; however, these leave much to be desired when it comes to accurately diagnosing TLE. It is, therefore, quite likely there are many testing results reflecting false negatives.

Please correct me if I am wrong, BirdDancer.

I know of a case in which a young man had sustained a concussion. At some point, his doctor had considered the young man recovered from the concussion.

The young man had continued to have many symptoms, including all types of dissociative symptoms. He had to stop playing high school football. He could no longer keep up with social activities and he'd eventually lost his friends. He became increasingly isolated, increasingly depressed and quite hopeless.

His family doctor had referred him to a psychiatrist, who then diagnosed him with anxiety, depression and a dissociative disorder.

I was a friend of the family and had continued to express the need for a neurological assessment.

The psych meds, and there were several, only made this young man feel much worse. His psychiatrist had then diagnosed him with a "treatment resistant" variety of mental illness.

A consultant had theorized the young man was suffering from a post-concussion syndrome and had opined that the young man's condition would improve with time.

The young man became very hopeless and suicidal. He was eventually admitted inpatient at a university hospital where he'd received a full neurological assessment.

He was diagnosed with TLE and has been successfully treated with anticonvulsant medication. Last I knew, he was living a much more normal life and was thriving, once again, is both sports and in academics!

It was never clear as to whether or not the TLE was a byproduct of the concussion or if the existence of both conditions was mere coincidence. I am not sure anyone would know the answer to that question.

Just an example of how a full neurological assessment can, at times, make all of the difference.