Concussions in athletes produce brain dysfunction as revealed by event‐related potentials

We have used event-related potentials (ERP) to assess cerebral activity following mild traumatic brain injuries in 20 college athletes practising contact sports. Concussion victims showed a striking decrease in P300 amplitude, an effect presumed to reflect alterations in attentional-cognitive processes. Moreover, the degree of impairment was strongly related to the severity of post-concussion symptoms. Our data suggest that concussions cause objectively measurable changes in the electro-physiological markers of brain activity and hence in the functions of the structures from which they originate. ERPs may thus constitute a reliable method to accurately monitor the clinical course and recovery of head injuries in athletes.

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