Changes in Brain Remain for Months after a Concussion

Even a mild injury to the head can cause significant changes in the brain that can persist long after the symptoms of a concussion have faded, a new study reported. The research was based on a new 3 D imaging of the brain and shows that people with injuries to the head might take longer to recover than previously believed.

Mild injuries to the brain or concussions during sports can damage the brain, which could take a while to recover. People who have had repeated concussions have experienced severe brain damage.

The present study suggests even though the patient might not complain of any pain or dizziness, the brain is quite vulnerable for a few months after an injury.

"These results suggest that there are potentially two different modes of recovery for concussion, with the memory, thinking and behavioral symptoms improving more quickly than the physiological injuries in the brain," said study author Andrew R. Mayer, PhD, of the Mind Research Network and University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque.

The study was based on data from 50 people with concussions and 50 without a known brain injury (control group).  All the participants were tested for their memory and thinking abilities two weeks after brain scans. About four months later, 26 patients from each group were asked to take another round of tests and brain scans.

Researchers used diffusion tensor imaging scans for their study. These scans created a 3 D image of the nervous system. Conventionally, brain scans like MRI or CT scans might not pick up the subtle details, researchers told Bloomberg.

"During recovery, reported symptoms like pain are greatly reduced before the body is finished healing, when the tissue scabs. These finding may have important implications about when it is truly safe to resume physical activities that could produce a second concussion, potentially further injuring an already vulnerable brain," Mayer said in a news release.

It was found that even after two weeks post brain injury, people with a concussion had more problems with thinking and memory skills than people who didn't have a concussion. Also, people suffering from a blow to the brain were more likely to have emotional problems like anxiety or depression.

After four months, concussion symptoms had faded in most patients. However, their brains showed significant abnormalities, especially in the gray matter in the frontal cortex area.

The study is published in the journal Neurology.