Monday Medical: Concussion management

Editor's note: A version of this article was published in December 2009.

A concussion or mild traumatic brain injury occurs when a person receives a bump or blow to the head that causes the brain to shake inside the skull. This force disrupts the way the brain typically functions and can cause a change in mental status such as loss of consciousness, amnesia, disorientation, confusion or mental fogginess.

A concussion is often a misunderstood injury because its symptoms are not always straightforward, said Michael Collins, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist and assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

Monday Medical columns publish weekly in the Steamboat Today's Yampa Valley Health section. Read more columns here.

What: ImPACT Baseline Testing (parents must be present)

When: 4:45 p.m. May 13

Where: SportsMed at Yampa Valley Medical Center

Call: 970-871-2370

I see daily in my clinic that no two concussions are alike, and the injurys effects and recovery period are different in each individual, he said.

Collins said research has shown that allowing enough healing and recovery time for the brain after a concussion is crucial in preventing further damage.

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Monday Medical: Concussion management