Whether acquired through a car accident, sports trauma or another type of injury, concussions can be life-changing for people in California. While it is widely known that concussions can result from impacts to the head, there is less information about how to prevent concussion or identify the types of impact that are more likely to cause this damage. Researchers used data recorded from football players and computer simulations of the human brain to attempt to identify why concussions happen after certain injuries but not others.
The researchers found that concussions and other forms of mild traumatic brain injury were likely to occur when a particular area inside the brain, called the corpus callosum, shook more strongly than the surrounding tissue. However, they also noted that due to the physical complexity of the brain, there was no clear relationship between different types of head impacts and these types of internal injuries. Researchers noted that gaining a greater understanding of the biomechanics of the brain could help to treat and prevent brain injury.
In previous research, 31 college football players had been outfitted with mouthguards that measured players’ head movements at the time of impact. In some of these cases, the players suffered concussions. When reviewing the data, they found that in most head impacts, the brain moves back and forth in unison quickly – around 30 times per second. When a hit caused a concussion, however, it was accompanied by rapid movement of the corpus callosum that exceeded the movements of the rest of the brain.
People who have suffered a concussion or other brain injury can have lifelong effects. In many cases, these devastating injuries were caused by the negligence of another. People who have suffered a brain injury may be able to work with a personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for their damages, including lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering.
