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Cerebrovascular pathophysiology following mild traumatic brain injury
Author(s) -
Len T. K.,
Neary J. P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-097x.2010.00990.x
Subject(s) - medicine , concussion , traumatic brain injury , neuropsychology , asymptomatic , pathophysiology , transcranial doppler , cerebral blood flow , population , sequela , physical medicine and rehabilitation , poison control , neuroscience , injury prevention , intensive care medicine , cardiology , psychiatry , cognition , psychology , medical emergency , environmental health
Summary Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or sport‐induced concussion has recently become a prominent concern not only in the athletic setting (i.e. sports venue) but also in the general population. The majority of research to date has aimed at understanding the neurological and neuropsychological outcomes of injury as well as return‐to‐play guidelines. Remaining relatively unexamined has been the pathophysiological aspect of mTBI. Recent technological advances including transcranial Doppler ultrasound and near infrared spectroscopy have allowed researchers to examine the systemic effects of mTBI from rest to exercise, and during both asymptomatic and symptomatic conditions. In this review, we focus on the current research available from both human and experimental (animal) studies surrounding the pathophysiology of mTBI. First, the quest for a unified definition of mTBI, its historical development and implications for future research is discussed. Finally, the impact of mTBI on the control and regulation of cerebral blood flow, cerebrovascular reactivity, cerebral oxygenation and neuroautonomic cardiovascular regulation, all of which may be compromised with mTBI, is discussed.