Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Concussions
* What is a Concussion?
* A mild brain injury resulting from a direct blow to the head resulting in physiological changes in brain function
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* Causes
* Hitting your head
* Being hit in the head
* Rapid acceleration/deceleration where the brain ricochets in the skull – whiplash
* Blast waves from explosions
* S&S
* Can be grouped into 4 subcategories:
* Physical Symptoms
* Headaches
* Visual problems
* Dizziness
* Noise/Light sensitivity
* Nausea
* Cognitive Symptoms
* Attention problems
* Memory dysfunction
* “Fogginess”
* Fatigue
* Cognitive slowing
* Emotionality
* More Emotional
* Sadness
* Nervousness
* Irritability
* Sleep Disturbance
* Difficulty falling asleep
* Sleeping less than usual - Amnesia * Retrograde – Can’t recall events preceding the trauma * Question about date, score, location, play, breakfast * Anterograde – Can’t recall events that occurred after event * Question about impact, coming off field * Retroanterograde – Reversing/confusing order of events
- Why Are Concussions so Dangerous?
* Survivors are often unaware of their injury
* Willingness to report
* Immediate diagnosis of a concussion is based on self-report
* An athlete who sustains a concussion is 4-6 times more likely to sustain a second concussion
* Second Impact Syndrome and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
* Second Impact Syndrome
* Occurs in athletes with prior concussion following relatively minor second impact
* Second impact has been shown to occur up to 14 days post-injury
* Athlete returns to competition before resolution of symptoms
* Catastrophic increase in intracranial pressure
* Vasomotor paralysis, edema, massive swelling, herniation, death
* Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
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* Multiple head injuries affect neurological functioning
* CTE is characterized by the build-up of a toxic protein called tau
* The build up of these proteins cause behavioral, psychological, and physical changes, including emotional lability and anger issues - Treatment of a Concussion
* The best way to prevent problems with concussion is to manage them effectively when they occur
* Immediate removal from activity
* Educate your athlete
* Referral to physician
* No athlete should return to play while experiencing symptoms of concussion
* Follow your institutions return from concussion protocol: ImpACT, Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), etc.
* Recovery Time
* (Time vs Memory)
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* (Time vs. Reaction Time)
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