Concussion of the brain - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Brain concussion is the easiest severity of craniocerebral trauma.

Classification of craniocerebral trauma:

• Brain concussion - 80 to 90%
• Brain contusion - 5 to 12%
• Brain compression - 3 to 5%.

Traumatic brain injury:

• Light - concussion of the brain, mild contusion;
• Of moderate severity - a moderate brain contusion;
• Severe - severe brain contusion and all kinds of compression - epidural, subdural, intracerebral, intracerebral hematomas.

Causes of concussion

Trauma can be obtained at home, on the way to work and from work, at work, in traffic accidents, during sports, when falling during ice, from the height while working at the dacha and so on.

You can, for example, get a brain concussion, slipping and hitting your head, or in a household quarrel accompanied by assault, in a fight and hard sports.

Concussion occurs with a direct stroke or a sharp slowing of the movement of the head. This leads to brain damage( loss of consciousness, etc.)

Symptoms of concussion

As a result of a brain concussion that occurs when falling from a height, falling heavy objects from a height to a person, barotrauma of wartime, there are significant violations of higher nervous activity in the form of the transcendentalinhibition, spreading to the cortex and a number of underlying parts of the central nervous system. In the future, as the various parts of the central nervous system are released from inhibition, which is of a protective nature, the normal dynamic relationships between the cortex and subcortical formations are noted, often in the direction of a temporary and significant predominance of subcortical centers over the inhibited cortex of the cerebral hemispheres: this causes the appearance of various neurologic symptoms,violation of cortical regulation of autonomic functions.

For concussion of the brain, loss of consciousness and amnesia are characteristic.

With a mild degree, there is a short or incomplete deenergia of consciousness( somnolentia), the average degree( sopor) is accompanied by loss of consciousness for several hours, with a severe degree( coma), there is a deep and prolonged loss of consciousness. After exiting the unconscious state, retrograde amnesia is often observed in patients( the victim does not remember the events preceding the trauma, trauma and events immediately after the trauma), headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting.

There is a slowing of the pulse - bradycardia, there may be a weak meningeal syndrome, an increase in temperature, instability of blood pressure. When you see the doctor, the neurologist sees scattered microsymptomatics-perhaps a slight nystagmus, a slight asymmetry of the tendon reflexes, sometimes pathological signs-more often than the Stryumpel( in the supine position when the leg is bent at the knee against the applied force, the first toe is unbent, and the others open "fan")), swaying in the Romberg pose.

All these phenomena are not persistent. Longer persistent headache and autonomic dysfunction - increased sweating, lack of appetite, pulse and pressure, asthenia, fatigue, drowsiness, mood lability - from irritability to apathy.

Brain concussion test

If you get a head injury, even insignificant, in your opinion, you need to see a doctor to exclude head injury or timely treatment if you have brain trauma. If you lose consciousness as a result of a trauma, you should immediately call an ambulance. Necessary examinations will be X-ray examination - from x-ray of the skull and cervical spine to computed tomography( depending on the detected neurologic symptoms), examination of the oculist, electroencephalography, examination of the neurosurgeon.

Treatment of brain concussions

In the treatment of brain concussion neuroprotectors - nootropil, piracetam 1200 mg twice a day, cerebrolysin, somasin intravenously, antioxidants - actovegin, solcoseryl, mildronate intravenously, dehydration - diacarb in tablets, vascular therapy - cavinton, memoplant, vitamins of group B -neurovitan, milgamma, neurorubin, neurobeks, sedatives - dormiplant, afobazol, adaptol. Self-medication is not worth it because of the possibility of "missing" a more complex trauma, a fracture of the skull, and getting a life threat. The craniocerebral traumas that are more severe than the concussion are in their clinical picture a delayed period - a "light period" - when you feel yourself not bad and do not want to go to the doctor, and after a while the condition deteriorates sharply. Therefore, it is better to immediately seek help and be screened and treated in a timely manner.

Complications of brain concussions

Complications of brain concussions can be asthenic syndromes, disorder of liquor dynamics and the development of traumatic encephalopathies. After a concussion of the brain, regardless of the severity of the trauma, there may be a post-traumatic change in personality or constitutional features. This - increased fatigue, sleep disorders, emotional lability - sharp mood swings, imbalance, the development of neuroses, anxiety, fears, memory loss, attention, absent-mindedness. Particularly adverse effects are possible with repeated and( or) untreated brain concussions. This need to know the athletes - boxing, wrestling - abound with loss of consciousness. Repeated craniocerebral trauma can lead to traumatic epilepsy.

Doctor's consultation on the topic of concussion

Question: Can there be a fracture of the bones of the nose and not be concussion?
Answer: can. If there is not enough strong( to get a craniocerebral trauma) impact on the nose, only the bones of the nose with or without displacement can suffer, there will be a hematoma in the soft tissues of the face, swelling of the nose, nose, difficulty in nasal breathing. They are treated by a doctor of the otolaryngologist( ENT).

Question: what is a "whiplash" injury?
Answer: this is a trauma caused by a sharp head movement "forward-backward".For example, with very severe braking in transport. At the same time, the craniocerebral trauma is combined with the possible trauma of the cervical vertebrae - from displacement, subluxation and dislocation to fractures. Therefore, it is necessary to examine both the head and the cervical spine.

Question: How long can the concussion treatment last?
Answer: Depending on the severity of the course - from 10 days to a month. At a mild degree, out-patient treatment is possible, with moderate to severe severity, hospitalization is indicated in the neurosurgical department.

Doctor neurologist Kobzeva S.V.