Traumatic Brain Injury - Contusions vs Cucussions

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1. What is the difference between contusions and cucussions? Explain.

Contusions and cucussions differ both in cause and effect.

1. Contusion - bruise due to the effect of pressure

2. Concussion

Transient loss of consciousness due to mechanical forces to the brain
a. Shear force
b. Centrifugal forces (Ommya and Gennerali)

Most severe at surface (Cortex) causing cognitive impairment.
c. If severe, damage may extent down into the midbrain, causing an acute memory deficit (post- traumatic amnesia).
d. If even more severe, extend down into brainstem - Coma.

Therefore, initial hospital records are very important to clarify source of data.

EXTRA INFORMATION: (EXCERPT)

For a problem as pervasive as traumatic brain injury one would think that the different forms it can take would be widely known and understood. However, in my practice of community-based neurology I find this is not the case. Patients and their families are seldom familiar with the concepts of cerebral (brain) contusion and concussion, and a common error is to believe that they are basically the same, except that a contusion is a more severe form of a concussion.

Before exploring the differences between these two terms, let's first acknowledge how they are alike:

* Both are due to head trauma.

* Both are common.

* Both are serious.

But that's where the similarities end. The differences between cerebral contusions and concussions can be boiled down to two basic concepts:

* Contusions are localized, while concussions ...