LOC Brain Injury Literature – Element in Brain Injury Literature

LOC Brain Injury Literature

The amount of LOC brain injury literature which now stands for the proposition that no loss of consciousness is required for a brain injury to have occurred is substantial.  Originally and published in such books as “Neurology Principles” written by Adams and Victor, it was thought without a loss of consciousness there was no concussion.  Unfortunately for the brain injured community neurologist believed that and some still do.

The definition of concussion started to change around 1992.  There may have been research before that but the American Congress of Rehabilitation came out with a new definition of traumatic brain injury. In that definition they abandoned the idea that loss of consciousness is require to consider brain injury.  They came up with four criteria for the presence of brain injury.  The four being;

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Change in Mental State
  • Amnesia
  • Focal Neurological Deficits

A good example of concussion without loss of consciousness is a football player getting hit really hard.  Now this may have knocked him down but not necessarily knocked him out.  He may later be diagnosed with a concussion.  For those of you who are sports fans, you know this happens all of the time.

Three LOC Brain Injury Literatures

The three LOC brain injury literature below pushed that movement along considerably, particularly the ACRM’s definition of MTBI. The Kelly Neurology article was also a huge break through as it was the genesis of the now progressive “Sport and Concussion” movement.

For more on the evolution of the thinking about LOC and brain injury diagnosis, go to http://concussionhelp.com

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  • Muriel Lezak, Neuropsychological Assessment, 3rd, ©Oxford, 1995.
  • Kelly, James P., M.D. “Diagnosis and management of concussion in sports”. ©Neurology. 1997. p 575-580.
  • Definition of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury , Developed by the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee of the Head Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. J Head Trauma Rehabil 1993:8(3):86-87

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