How concussion stresses the heart, to protect the brain

August 20, 2018  16:06

It is now accepted that sport-related concussion can have a direct and significant effect on the functional status of the brain, but recent research from our laboratory has demonstrated that the heart is also significantly affected.

We believe this change is transient and the heart will go back to “normal.”

However, more research is needed to confirm the extent of the damage and how long it will take for the heart to recover. We also do not know whether there are long-term effects that can potentially lead to cardiac problems in the future.

Sport-related concussion, or often referred to as mild traumatic brain injury, has been defined as a “complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces….”

So you might ask, how is the heart affected when the head takes the blow?

Our heart, like all internal organs, is controlled by our autonomic nervous system (ANS) which resides within the neural network of the brain.

Full article: https://theconversation.com/how-concussion-stresses-the-heart-to-protect-the-brain-100729

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