Source: concussionfoundation.org | Re-Post Duerson Fund 4/29/2019 –
Many people are surprised to hear that there have been cases of CTE discovered in athletes who have never been diagnosed with a concussion. This revelation has spurred some scientists to look at other types of brain trauma as a possible cause of CTE. Currently, the best available evidence suggests that subconcussive impacts, not concussions, are the driving force behind CTE.
WHAT IS A SUBCONCUSSIVE IMPACT?
To understand what a subconcussive impact is, we first need to understand what a concussion is.
Simply put, concussions are the hits to the brain that cause symptoms. Concussions have symptoms because the brain is shaken violently enough that brain cells are damaged to the point where they don’t work properly. Subconcussive hits are those that are below that concussion threshold: the brain is shaken, but not so violently that the damage to brain cells is severe enough to see through symptoms.
Examples of these types of impacts include most tackles and collisions on the football field; headers in soccer; checks or collisions with the boards or other players in ice hockey; and body checks in lacrosse. The impacts are there, and the brain is affected, we just don’t notice it right away.