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Even Mild Concussion Can Cause Thinking, Memory Problems: Study in Health Day, Andrew Blamire, Ph.D., professor, magnetic resonance physics, Newcastle University, U.K.; Michael O'Brien, M.D., director, sports concussion clinic, Boston Children's Hospital; Aug. 5, 2014, Neurology, July 16, 2014

Excerpts:
"Finding suggests damage may be present even after obvious symptoms are gone"

"A mild or moderate concussion may have longer-lasting consequences than previously realized, a new study suggests.

By comparing brain imaging studies and thinking tests between healthy people and those with relatively minor concussions, the researchers found that the recovery of thinking skills can take a long time. Minor concussions can be caused by events such as falling off a bike, being in a slow-speed car crash or being hit in a fist-fight.

Initially, those with concussions had thinking and memory test scores that were 25 percent lower than those in healthy people. One year after injury, however, while the scores for those with and without concussions were similar, those who had had brain injuries still had evidence of brain damage on imaging tests, with clear signs of continued disruption to key brain cells.

The findings are especially important because 90 percent of all traumatic brain injuries are mild to moderate, said Andrew Blamire, senior author of the study and professor of magnetic resonance physics at Newcastle University, in the United Kingdom."

"A concussion is a type of brain injury that occurs when the head hits an object, when a moving object strikes the head, or when the head experiences a sudden force without being hit directly. There are about 2 to 4 million concussion injuries from sports and recreation in the United States every year, according to the American Academy of Neurology. Most concussions result in full recovery."

Article at:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147352.html