What's in a name?
I was disappointed to see a recent editorial in one of our sister sport medicine journals. The journal issue concerned was a supplement devoted to sport related concussive injuries. While such noble sentiments are to be supported nevertheless the terminology of concussion once again is becoming confused.1 The authors use the term “mild traumatic brain injury” to describe the clinical entity of concussion. A seemingly small change yet one that has important implications for the understanding of the clinical problem, and more importantly serves to confuse clinicians reading published articles on the topic. It may be useful for clinicians to understand the background of this issue.
One of the major limitations in this field is that there is no universal agreement on the standard definition or nature of concussion.2–4 The historical context of this injury refers to a transient disturbance of neurological function caused by “shaking” of the brain that accompanies low velocity brain injuries.5–7 The clinical manifestations of concussion as a transient neurological syndrome without structural brain injury have been known since the 10th century AD.8 …
