What is a Concussion? | Concussion Patient Education Series | Ep. 1

Ever wondered what happens to your brain during a concussion and why you feel the way you feel? In this video we break down what a concussion is and how the brain is impacted.
** RESOURCES BELOW **
1. Workshops for PCS Patients: bit.ly/cdoc-wo...
2. Complete Concussions Clinical Network - find a location near you: clinics.comple...

[@urbanessentials2335]

Hi, I'm 6 weeks post concussion and I just have to say, I'm trying to follow along but just can't seem to focus....ironic that I can't understand the video that's trying to help me understand my symptoms...haha!

[@arielperez797]

I had a concussion about 10 yrs ago and it messed up my focus a lot. Creatine seems to help me a lot though. Don't know if you want to look into creatine for cognitive benefits.

[@mathias5578]

​@@arielperez797fish oil too

[@mathias5578]

​@@arielperez797NAC too

[@brendak.wallace2348]

Get someone you know to listen to the video for you. And write down all the info they can. Then you can read it as many times as you want to comprehend the information. But don't beat yourself up I took me years to comprehend. And its still off and on. Depends how stressed I am, or how much pain I am in.

[@justStardust940]

wow best lecture i've ever seen. turned something so complex into something so easy to understand and interesting.

[@CompleteConcussions]

:)

[@pegheacock6611]

Thank you, I felt like I actually understood it from your explanation clarity 👍🏽

[@laurabrown8554]

I’ve heard some good things about this from friends… It would be helpful to me to have a transcript as one of my problems is auditory processing. I will try to get through the videos, but a written transcript would be so much easier for me. Thank you for doing this.

[@lenoredavi6137]

If you click the button that closes the comments, then scroll down under the video, there is a button to click "show transcript".

[@Freddie206]

Thank u for your videos Just listening makes me feel recovering little by little Appreciate u a lot Doc!

[@amandalynngibson8332]

Thank you. MRI shows bilateral frontal lobe lesions and "hyperintensities in Grey white matter". I am grateful to have survived with spinal cord intact. But life is so slow and flat. Discomfort of nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, foggy and groggy every day. I'm an RN. Now retired cuz of tbi. I am on my own dealing with this. 3 years now. I pray for recovery. For the energy and ability to get needed treatment. I pray for a miraculous recovery yet. And know that is possible. 🙏

[@motisingh845]

How r u now... Did u make complete recovery

[@CompleteConcussions]

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply here. Hyperintensities are not necessarily due to concussion injury. Oftentimes they are attributed to concussion injury however the research on this says that these findings are found at the exact same rate as those WITH a concussion history as those WITHOUT. So this may have nothing to do with your concussion injury at all.

[@iambutterfly74]

Fantastic video and explanation of concussion. Loved the way your broke it all down to help regular people understand.

[@seabee5695]

Thank you so much for this video series on Concussion. Your explanations and diagrams are very helpful in the understanding of this life-changing injury. They also put puzzle pieces together... As well as encouragement that more and more medical professionals will become familiar w/brain injury, and early diagnosis and treatment. Thank you for your efforts and sharing your wisdom. 👏👏👏

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

You're welcome :)

[@urhunted]

Great video. Trying to understand it. Traumatic - stretch axons - ionen exhange - calcium in the cell prevent ATP making in mitochondria & action potential cause of ion exchange - means ATP demand and no new ATP Takes 3 to 4 weeks to reset ATP in the cells.

[@hummingbird7713]

This is good. Concussion one year ago. Very hard to find a doctor who is up to date one PCS

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

Glad you enjoyed :)

[@honda4004]

Hi doc just been flicked off a crane on a lorry and I was told I was out cold for 30 ish seconds having landed on my left side on a windscreen my injury was above ear .swelling but reduced the next few hours .I use rayonex bio resonance and now 3 weeks on listen being to you to be able to ask my rayonex man to scan and remedy any reply you are willing to offer .thank you mel

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

27 years post injury and still dealing with the symptoms themselves as well as PTSD...

[@brendak.wallace2348]

I was aware of this but no one helped me resolve it, this was 22 yrs ago now. What happens with concussion & MTBI & PTSD and still get mentally exhausted.

[@thewanderer2033]

A wonderful overview to give you a understanding of what concussion is. This will help with the anxiety as you don't have any information from your Drs.

[@Freddie206]

I had sound trauma from firework a year ago Which caused a lot of issues I thought i got recovered Went to gun range Had ear protection But since that day i started to have some issues with brain Vision , balance etc is good Had mri and ct scan Nothing was found But have these migraines that I can’t get rid of Depression,weakness & sensitivity to light sometimes Hard to sleep When i workout i fee better I drink ginger root , coq10 , b2. If seems to help along with exercise Neurologist prescribed anti depressant and triptan After few days of taking it I realized it doesn’t do anything just making me zombie Is there any supplement you can recommend for my recovery?

[@gregtripp6620]

I played football n got many concussions n starting to feel it bc I got to crazy headache n other things I honestly feel I have cte maybe not that bad but who knows just starting happen after my last one. Can’t sleep headache I don’t know what to do even though it’s probably not serious But who. Knows

[@brendaclark8053]

This is absolutely the best answer to this problem I’ve have ever heard Thank you so much; this has given me hope ❤️

[@nomadnevermadbetelgeuse9803]

I got hit with a baseball bat right on the top of my head when I was 16, couldn’t move my fingers for a couple of seconds. Went from being top student to looser then alcoholic. Just quit drinking and would like to understand more about what happened to me. Thank you for this.

[@marthapineda9849]

Dr always went the Dr ask me a cuestión lm not ok too talking 😢 always say no too the cuestión they doing too end after lm remember the right cuestión too later.lm same way .

[@marthapineda9849]

My memory is bad .l have a lot pain end my cráneo too my eyes l have fractured at my cráneo 😢

[@chastityhartman9044]

I got concussion fall got hurt Jan 21st ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@PotentialEn3rgy]

Wow! Amazing and so much appreciated! Thank you!

[@joshuawalston9044]

So I compete in amateur boxing about 3 weeks ago I was sparring and got hit with a hook and my vision changed a little for like 5 seconds or less I was thinking the whole time I was never confused or anything I felt a little sluggish the next day after that normal but I still took 10 days off sparring about 2 weeks after that I sparred hard mabey got hit once really good but not dizzy nothing no vision change no nothing but the next day I had Brain fog I'm guessing it was from really training hard especially close to bed time / and lack of sleep because i had to be at work early the next day ,what do you think? Lol, and one more question sorry, how common are pituitary injuries after mild concussions, and can sub-concussion blows also injure the pituitary gland?

[@mathias5578]

Hey, you doing ok now? I had a similar injury but only 1x. Got hit into the head by a friend, we used around 40-50% of the power. It was just that he had cheap boxing gloves from china that seemed to have enough padding, but turned out to be dangerous due to their smaller size and lack of padding when it comes to hitting the opponent (so protects his hand but not the opponent's body from injuries. Not gonna box again and seems to get better, but god, cheap and small boxing gloves are way more dangerous than I would have ever thought. And I spar infrequently.. 2x so fsr this yesr

[@heathermariearmbrust]

I’m grateful for ur videos since I found u shortly after my concussion almost 7 weeks ago. I hit my head 4 times on tile floor in a seizure and suffered hematomas and lacerations all over my skull. U gave me the confidence to start exercising (as best I could) a week after and it definitely helped and I am back in the gym now but I’m still having horrible dizziness and nausea. I have slipped up on my diet the last few weeks w sugar and need to do better but I feel much of the time like my brain is broken forever. I haven’t had a real nights sleep since the accident. It blows my mind that I now have insomnia and it’s not improving. U just cant heal properly without sleep😭 Thanks so much for all ur info! I feel a bit smarter knowing what actually happens in a concussion😝

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

Thank you for the kind words! Glad the content is helping. A couple things stand out from your message. 1. Your brain is not broken forever - you just need the right strategy! But the longer you wait, the harder it gets to recover - so do whatever you can now. 2. You definitely cannot recover properly without proper sleep. It's essential for clearing inflammation. There are ways to hack your sleep with a concussion! For both of these issues, I recommend you join the Concussion Fix program...it'll help you tackle these issues quickly so that they don't become a lingering issue - here is the link: concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

[@スーパーマーク]

So that's why my brain is empty...

[@pinschrunner]

I love your presentation of the underlying functional biochemical basis of concussion. Thank you for this video!

[@Mister_Samuel_T_Owen]

Thank you for the videos and the work you put into this issue. Will you be touching on what underlying issues could still be causing mental fatigue years later? Reduced bloodflow/oxygen to the brain, underlying chemical imbalance that has not returned to normal?

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

Yes! In future videos we will cover all this. We also cover this in our workshops if you don't want to wait - check out the link in the video description :). Or subscribe and hit the notification icon so that you'll be notified when new videos come out

[@Mister_Samuel_T_Owen]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 I have been subscribed. Your information is too valuable not not be subscribed for notifications.

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

@@Mister_Samuel_T_Owen Thank you! :)

[@arielyaskow7697]

My doc is doing an mri with contrast soon, my concussion was almost 4 years ago. He said he's looking for lesions or plaque from a coup contrecoup injury. I still have symptoms but the first mri after concussion was normal. Can I recover??? Or is it too late for me

[@CompleteConcussions]

Don't be surprised if this also comes up normal. According to the evidence, persistent concussion symptoms are not related to ongoing brain injury - but rather other factors. Can you recover? Absolutely! But you have to find what is driving your symptoms and address those issues in a systematic way - when we keep looking at the brain to find the reason, we'll never find it...and we keep going in circles. In the video description, there is a link to a workshop for PCS patients that explains all the potential causes of persistent symptoms and how to go about fixing them. Check it out! I only work with PCS patients who are months to years (up to even 10-15 years later) and we have full recoveries constantly. So don't give up! You may just have to shift your thinking on what is causing the issues :)

[@henryruggles7523]

I was struck by a truck in a crosswalk and according to the paramedics who revive me I laid in the road unconscious for 45 minutes or so and nearly died. I now have problems with my memory I get migraines and they say I have beginning signs of Parkinson's I never had any of these problems prior to that are these all related to my TBI ?

[@CompleteConcussions]

Possibly, yes.

[@daviddawson4091]

Hello Dr. Marshall, Thank-you so much for this thorough and easy to comprehend video. I look forward to watching and sharing the rest of your videos in this series. I have had a history of concussions and most recently I received an undiagnosed concussion 20 months ago, from an ATV accident in which I was wearing my helmet. It has had and continues to have devastating effects on my life. I have many questions for you but I will keep it to just one in this comment thread. Why does bending over exacerbate chronic headaches and can also bring on debilitating brain fog? Thank-you once more and enjoy your day.

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

THat is likely a neck issue!

[@bhupendrasingharora6183]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 sir how to solve neck issue

[@daviddawson4091]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 Thank-you for your reply Dr. Marshall. Would there be any peer journals, articles or videos that you would be able to direct me to regarding this topic? Or, perhaps you've covered this topic yourself in one of your past, or future videos. ;-)

[@marielamccracken5266]

It is possble to get a concussion after a operation ? I have 4 operation for gallblader to apendix remoted and hernias but afte all theses I am now feel depress, tinutis and back circulation in my legs, could be possible is concussion on my brain?

[@CompleteConcussions]

No - concussion is due to acceleration and/or deceleration of the brain. Many things can cause concussion-like symptoms though

[@pcaafrica4183]

This is Excellent! Cant get the explanation any better!

[@Trouble04brandy]

I recently graduated with my BA in psychology and working on my grad studies. I suffered a severe concussion in March ‘23. This is my 4th. Went in to be checked by the ER 9 days later due to the severe symptoms I showed. To this day, things are a tad better but I still have stuttering, short-term memory loss (mostly if associated with anxiety), headaches, combining words when I talk during excitement or exhaustion, and calling things what I know isn’t correct and have to ask others what it’s called (e.g., calling a lawnmower a vacuum cleaner or calling a deep freeze an oven). I also have tried to place things in spots that clearly do not belong there. I’m trying to look at it all from a scientific aspect. I am still completing my schooling and all, currently. The VA suggested I be seen by a neurologist and speech therapist. Yet with the VA, the appointment is not for months. Do you have any suggestions?

[@Trouble04brandy]

I should also mention, this was from a spooked horse that raised his head fast, hit the front, right side of my head. Then my head hit the metal pill behind me. I blacked out but only slightly because my daughter was there as well.

[@CompleteConcussions]

@@Trouble04brandy I would honestly recommend that you join the concussion fix program. We walk you through how to address all aspects of ongoing concussion symptoms. It will be a great start prior to your neurology appointment - concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

[@justStardust940]

You said in your other videos that what is really detrimental is having another concussion while one is still healing from the first one. What about a Blow To The Head immediately after the first one such as in a case where an assault victim is Hit twice? This happened to me when my father hit me in the head once and then hit Me Harder again immediately after. Since it is detrimental because of the drop in energy which takes time to the best of my understanding, would a Blow To The Head immediately following another caused the damage and detrimental effects that you speak of when concussions happen when one is still healing?

[@CompleteConcussions]

Those tend to respond just as 1 concussion. In order for the cumulative effect to happen, it seems that you need at least a day or two to pass in between injuries

[@justStardust940]

@@CompleteConcussions Thanks so much for your help! means so much to me!!

[@youtubechangemynamewhy]

All the numbers , theory, comes from what ? Please?

[@CompleteConcussions]

The scientific literature

[@Blessingsonblessons]

Hello sir, I was recently in a car crash and concussed pretty bad. Looking at these graphs gives me hope because it shows the improvements made after the drop in energy. I noticed on the graphs when there was no longer a significant difference, the bars toward the right representing the recovery process were still slightly lower than they were pre-injury. Does that mean we never fully get back to pre-injury ATP? Or does it eventually get back to that but the graph just stops at the point when there’s no longer significant difference?

[@nitashand]

Hi Dr my son hit his forehead with metal bat he’s playing outside instead of hitting ball the girl hit his forehead very hard with metal bat and after that he get very big goose egg on his forehead almost 2 weeks now but he’s suddenly feels headache on and off do we need to go with ct or no plz reply asap he’s 6 years old waiting for your reply need your help 🙏

[@paularitacosta]

Thank you a lot for your detailed explanation. I had the symptoms for 6 weeks. In the hospital they had me doing TAC in two diferent times - and then they said there was nothing wrong with me. At the time i didn't know yet what i had, so i was very scared...

[@shawnthompson5871]

Thank you soooo much for your vital information I have a concussion I can truly say that it make sense why I feel the way that I do I say wow this is why I feel this way you summoned it up for me I really believe if a person have not experienced a concussion they can not tell you are say how you feel I when you think it’s clearing up it seem to get worst I want something to help me to get better medicine something the thing about having a concussion the brain has to rest you have help me in sooo many ways I appreciate you your video

[@pumpkinpie2012]

after having very clear concussion symptoms, i had to continue working etc at normal pace. could the lack of a "recovery time" inhibit a full recovery from the concussion?

[@jamesherens4044]

When I was a kid I would pass out. Since that time I have a poor memory How can I correct my situation😊

[@jenv9782]

Interesting. And how was the animal study done? Was the mouse hit in the head with a hammer? Or its head flung into concrete?

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

They do this in a few different ways - sometimes they will use a fluid percussion device (similar to a blast-type injury) or they will swing a weighted pendulum from a certain height to deliver a contact blow.

[@jenv9782]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 Yes, I saw the Silver Springs Monkeys video some decades ago which showed the horrific details.

[@ilkkak3065]

Can this happend again after treatment of subacute subdural hematoma?

[@markdzwonkiewicz2937]

Strong work Doctor!

[@sylvierenaud]

i had too much to drink and walked home and fell 3 times and then i heard a ring not after but i fell hard now its mostly im hurt on my side of the head i feel ok but i hurt my ear

[@AprilBlayney]

Thank you for this video. So clear, helpful and hopeful!

[@Sayandipsen-12ivy]

Hi sir can you say that in the video 10:57 is it enough to tear or break axons

[@8.8.8.9]

Hi. It would probably make more sense to ask this question on a future video about the forces required to cause concussion, but I was wondering if humans can give themselves a concussion by shaking their heads. I know it sounds like a ridiculous question, and I don't have reason to think that one's neck muscles can produce enough force, but a straightforward answer would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

In the next video we are going to talk about the forces required! So be sure to subscribe and turn on your notifications for that :)

[@pawsy_doggu7fz]

I like some info i have brain injury and concusion

[@preciousigbokwe6097]

Hi everyone, I was hit by a gate 6 months ago. I was unconscious for about 20 minutes and had loss of memory for up to an hour. The symptoms I had were pressure, movement in my head and pain. I was given some painkiller drugs and an anti inflammatory drugs. The symptoms quickly disappeared after few weeks and I was fine for about 2 months. Right now, the symptoms are back and more serious. Heaviness in my head, pain, pressure, sound sensitivity, noisy ears and movement sensation. No balance issues, no blurry vision, discharge nor memory issues. My CT scan appears normal What do you advise I do? What type of treatment do I need. It’s difficult to find a doctor who Understands this. Please share your experience, what type of treatment did you undergo?

[@CompleteConcussions]

This is called persistent concussion symptoms - PCS. Although they start with a concussion injury, these long-term symptoms are generally not due to ongoing brain injury - this is why your CT scan is normal. Instead, these symptoms are due to dysfunction in one or more physiological systems in the body. If you keep watching this video series it will answer a number of your questions. I also suggest checking out the Concussion Fix program: concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

[@brendaclark8053]

Does bruising of the brain show up in MRI ?

[@kristishaw5714]

Do you have a video that explains CTE and athletic activities? I’m particularly interested in how it is/isnt correlated with concussions.

[@CompleteConcussions]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpLRk6KDgZeGjpI

[@Cindy-qc7lo]

Thank you so much you are amazing for this

[@amandagriffith497]

I got my first concussion on December the 21st of last year and I'm still dealing with the symptoms

[@CompleteConcussions]

Keep watching this series...it'll help make sense as to what may be going on.

[@ruyneto8689]

this video is amazing!!! thank you!

[@kengatharansangarapillai2892]

ct is goog but i am not !!

[@KimberlyWegman]

Thank you

[@michaeljarvis5000]

I got diagnosed witth a bleed will it heal it self

[@sticko5780]

How are you

[@michaeljarvis5000]

@@sticko5780 ok, and you?

[@destinyforreal9744]

Thank you

[@OliverTwist-e2i]

So a concussion stretch neurons and we have a electrical confusion and the brain needs time to heal this and after 3-4 weeks brain works normal and the neurons with their axons function normally and dont tear or die?

[@CompleteConcussions]

Correct...symptoms can persist however these are not due to ongoing brain injury but rather other causes. These symptoms can cause altered brain function, however if you address the symptom drivers and get rid of the symptoms, brain function will normalize. Put another way, if you are in pain and I give you a cognitive test...you won't do very well. Does this mean that your brain is damaged? NO! It means that you can't focus when you are in pain. Same thing goes for a bunch of other symptoms (dizziness, anxiety, autonomic issues, etc.) - but if we remove all that, function is normal. So the symptoms are not CAUSED by brain damage...but rather the symptoms cause altered processing.

[@OliverTwist-e2i]

Hei im sorry for my english im from germany 😅 so im very happy to hear that neurons can heal itself, with atp they can restore their ion balance and brain can heal after few weeks I have seen many videos that confused me because I thought that neurons always tear after a normal concussion(mtbi) and that worried me a little because I once had a concussion myself but i dont have any problems but how should I understand the tearing of axons, is this more likely to happen with more severe concussions and repeated concussion?

[@CompleteConcussions]

@@OliverTwist-e2i Concussions don't have a grading scale (i.e., mild, moderate, severe). Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) do. You can have mild TBI, Moderate TBI, or Severe TBI. Concussion is considered a mild TBI - and by definition there is no observable damage to the brain. In moderate and severe TBI's you can get tearing...but this is not concussion.

[@OliverTwist-e2i]

@@CompleteConcussions okay i saw the video from ted ed "concussion" I didn't know that in the video they describe tbi....

[@OliverTwist-e2i]

I think they have used the word concussion far too generally?

[@joycewilliams2313]

Thank you

[@Benken7839]

If no damage is detected with MRI and CT, does this mean that no damage will be detected with DTI either?

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

No - a DTI is a type of functional imaging modality (whereas CT and MRI are structural). So although there is no change to structure, there may be evidence of changes to function. Now, the issue here is a bit more complex - because many studies using functional imaging (like fMRI, DTI, SPECT, etc.) WILL show changes in concussion and PCS - BUT, they also show the same changes in a ton of other conditions that overlap with PCS (like depression and anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, etc.). So often times patients will get an abnormal DTI or fMRI and make the conclusion that these changes represent "damage" to the brain due to a concussion injury. But what these images are actually showing is altered function due to any number of possibilities - meaning that the changes you see could be due to the fact that you have pain...they could be due to the fact that you have issues with anxiety, PTSD, chronic stress, autonomic issues, etc. So all these tell you is that something isn't quite right and you aren't feeling 100% - but they can't tell you WHY or what to do about it. So a better option is to fix the underlying issues that drive the symptoms of PCS and the imaging scans will typically become normal. So they don't show "damage" but rather dysfunction...which can be fixed if you address the reasons for it.

[@Benken7839]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 So is it to be understood that DTI does not show any structural damage but only indicates functional disorders that can heal? Thanks for the clarification

[@Benken7839]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 So is it to be understood that DTI does not show any structural damage but only indicates functional disorders that can heal? Thanks for the clarification

[@dr.cameronmarshall1032]

@@Benken7839 Not exactly. What I'm saying is that the findings in PCS patients often overlap with those found in many other conditions and often don't correlate with symptoms. There are just so many unknowns with DTI and what the findings mean....

[@Benken7839]

@@dr.cameronmarshall1032 In the video it is explained that if you are knocked out and have a concussion that heals after a week and you dont have symptoms, no structural damage will be detected by MRI or CT. The neurons and the brain will recover. My question is whether DTI will also not detect any damage after a healed concussion normally?