Concussion study upends understanding of what makes head impacts dangerous

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A study by Stanford Medicine researchers and collaborators challenges conventional assumptions about which head-impact forces cause concussions. The findings concern mild traumatic brain injuries, a common injury in sports, with an estimated 3.8 million sports-related concussions occurring annually in the United States.

Concussions—essentially mild traumatic brain injuries—are among the most common injuries sustained on athletic fields. In the U.S., an estimated 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur every year. But new research by Stanford Medicine scientists and collaborators suggests that the prevailing understanding of the forces that lead to concussion may be missing the mark.