Journal Club Update: Traumatic Brian Injury

Between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) occur every year and the vast majority are concussions. This may be a gross underestimation as many patients do not seek medical attention. Concussions are induced by an impulsive force transmitted to the head resulting from an impact to the head, face, neck, or elsewhere. Direct head contact is not a requirement for a concussion and less than 10% of athletes lose consciousness. In similar sports, women appear to be more vulnerable to concussions. The clinical manifestations of concussion are diverse and include slowing of saccadic eye movements, double vision, balance or memory impairment, headache, confusion, amnesia, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech, fatigue, sensitivity to light, and sleep disturbances. These findings may be the end result of metabolic dysfunction resulting from impaired energy regulation.