Concussions: A Delicate and Difficult Injury

Michael Myers

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As Seahawks fans prepare for this Sunday's NFC Championship game, the question on everyone's mind is what effect running back Shaun Alexander's recent concussion will have on the team. Alexander sustained a concussion in the first quarter of last week's game against the Redskins and did not return. Doctors have cleared him to play Sunday but remain cautious.

Concussions are also a frequently overlooked injury in motor vehicle and other accidents. Concussions can occur without any outward physical evidence of injury or trauma. Examples of such invisible injury include whiplash and shaken babies. A concussion can cause immediate impairment of brain functioning. Post Concussive Syndrome is the name for a specific set symptoms (i.e., thinking, behavioral, and emotional) that may persist following a concussion.

The brain, "is an extraordinarily complex and precise system," said Dr. John O'Kane, a University of Washington team physician. "A concussion is an injury to the brain," added Dr. O'Kane, "and if the brain is not working, nothing else really matters."

More about Alexander's injury and the serious nature of concussions can be found in the following article: Doctors Tread Lightly With Concussions.

Tampa Attorney Bob Carroll has a good overview of the legal implications and effects a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can have.