Definition of “Concussion”
Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts
Cite as:
Caron, J. G. (2019). Concussion. In D. Hackfort, R.J. Schinke, & Bernd Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts (pp. 58). London, UK: Academic Press.
Concussion [from Latin meaning to shake violently]
A concussion is defined1 as a Traumatic Brain Injury that results from biomechanical forces transmitted via direct or indirect blow to the face, head or elsewhere on the body (McCrory et al., 2017). Concussions are closed head injuries that are typically not life threatening. The majority of concussions occur as a result of participating in contact (e.g., soccer, basketball) or collision (e.g., American football, rugby) sports. Concussions are manifested in one or more of the following: symptoms (somatic,
cognitive, emotional), physical signs, behavioural changes, balance and cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbance. Often, the neurological impairment that accompanies a concussion is transient. Most concussed adult athletes recover within 10-14 days, whereas symptomatology for children and
adolescent athletes (<18 years old) typically resolves within 30 days. A smaller percentage of athletes are slow to recover and can experience concussion symptoms for longer periods of time (i.e., months, years). References
British Journal of Sports Medicine. (2017, May 12). Usage statistics of the Concussion in Sport group 2013 consensus statement. Retrieved from: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/5/250.altmetrics McCrory, P., Meeuwisse, W., Dvorak, J., Aubry, M., Bailes, J., Broglio, S., ... & Vos, P. E. (2017).
Consensus statement on concussion in sport—the 5th international conference on
concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016. Advance Online Publication. British Journal of Sports Medicine. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097699
Jeffrey G. Caron
