3.18.2008

New MRI tests show concussion perils

Even after a severe concussion, a brain can look normal and healthy on a traditional brain scan. But now a study co-authored by a Brigham Young University psychology professor, using a new kind of MRI technique, reveals brain changes that are subtle but significant.

The study, which appears in today's issue of the journal "Neurology," helps prove that concussions result in biological changes — and that long-lasting symptoms such as aggression and sleep problems are not just "psychological."

"We're just beginning to understand what is happening with concussions," said BYU psychology professor Erin Bigler, who conducted the study with colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine, including one of Bigler's former students, Elisabeth Wilde. "We're hoping this will lead to better and better ways to treat them."

source: Deseret News

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