Concussion [JAMA Patient Page]
CAUSES
Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of concussion, but it may also result from active contact sports (such as
boxing, martial arts, and football), extreme sports (such as rock climbing, mountain biking, alpine skiing, and professional
snowboarding), some other recreational activities (such as horseback riding and ice skating), and household falls. Also, some
genetic traits have been connected to risk of concussion.
The direct cause of concussion is rapid
acceleration-deceleration (speeding up and slowing down) at the time of the blow to the head, leading to jarring of the brain inside the skull and
stretching the
neurons (nerve cells) so that they temporarily do not work properly.