Single Concussion May Result in Lasting Neurological or Psychological Brain Problems

A bump on the noggin even when an MRI may report nothing could still not mean you're out of the woods according to a new study.

A team from New York University's Langone School of Medicine published results of the first study to show post-concussion volume loss in the brain in the journal Radiology, according to Medical News Today.

PubMed Health describes a concussion as a minor traumatic injury to the brain that can occur when the head hits an object or vice versa. It often leads to a headache, an alteration in the level of alertness, or even a loss of consciousness. The most common signs beyond a headache are confused behavior, drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, memory loss, flashing lights, and a sense of losing time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers traumatic brain injury (TBI) a serious public health problem, noting that around 1.7 million individuals experience such an injury annually. A majority of these injuries are concussions or other types of mild TBI (MTBI) and involve just a brief change in the patient's consciousness or mental state.

As experts have long known that brain atrophy can occur after moderate or sever head trauma, the study shows that 20 percent of MTBI patients have neurological and psychological symptoms more than a year later. Prior to the the study, hower, experts did not have the necessary information on the permanent effects of just one concussion.

The study included 28 patients at the outset and followed 19 a year later, all with post-traumatic symptoms following injury. It also enrolled 22 matched control subjects, with 12 followed after a year.

The team used three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. The MRI images determined volumes of regional gray and white matter and compared them to other clinical and cognitive measurements.

The study concluded that a year after experiencing a concussion, MTBI patients had measurable global and regional brain atrophy. This suggests that brain atrophy is not solely a byproduct of more severe injuries, but can be linked to just one concussion.

Certain parts of the brain showed notable decreases in volume associated with changes in memory, anxiety, and attention. This reinforces the need for individuals with a concussion to get prompt medical evaluation.