A single concussion may cause young children to suffer minor, but lingering, brain damage. In a recent study, researchers used MRI scans to compare the brains of 15 children with a previous concussion to 15 similar kids who hadn’t suffered a concussion. They found that the brains of the concussion sufferers showed signs of subtle disruptions while utilizing attention- and thinking-related skills. The authors recommend longer-term and larger studies to determine if concussion-related alterations in brain function are associated with problems during adulthood.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, December 2015