Subconcussive trauma

Abstract

Even impacts that do not immediately elicit symptoms of a concussion can induce changes in neural integrity. Because these so-called "subconcussive" head acceleration events, or head impact exposures, do not elicit identifiable symptoms, athletes continue to participate with unclear consequences. Neuroimaging studies reveal that neurologic changes, including inflammation, are associated with repetitive head impact exposures. Given that brain changes have been observed in athletes following repetitive head impact exposure, it is important to understand better and mitigate against this phenomenon. It is important to transition from the metric of concussion alone to one that includes repetitive head impact exposure, including the development of models that address why brain integrity may be compromised, who is at risk, and how to mitigate the risk of such exposure. Future work can include a health-monitoring framework to effect change and promote athlete safety.

Keywords: MRI; fMRI; neuroimaging; sports telemetry; structural health monitoring; subconcussion.