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Invisible Injury: What Really Happens to the Brain During a Concussion

This episode of the Neurocollective Podcast’s Concussion Conversations explains why concussions are often called the invisible injury and what actually happens inside the skull when the brain is impacted. The conversation with Dr. Bagnell & May Bagnell focuses on how concussion is defined, why symptoms can show up later, and why a normal scan does not necessarily mean normal function. They also cover the brain-gut connection, why energy levels in the brain can drop after injury, and how functional testing can reveal problems that CT and MRI scans miss. The takeaway is practical and hopeful: there are ways to evaluate and support recovery even when symptoms linger.

Key topics

• In this episode, concussion and mild traumatic brain injury are treated as equivalent terms, and “mild” does not mean minor or easy to recover from.
• Doc Bagnell explains that a head impact can count as a concussive force even if the person does not lose consciousness or vomit.
• A concussion becomes more likely when symptoms like dizziness, headache, or eye tracking problems appear within minutes to hours after impact and persist for days.
• The brain is described as soft and gelatinous, not rigid, which helps explain how it moves inside the skull during acceleration and deceleration.
• Using a jello model, Doc Bagnell explains shearing, where nerve fibers are stretched or torn during impact.
• Inflammation after concussion can affect cognition, mood, and movement, creating symptoms across multiple domains.
• The brain may enter a low energy state after injury, similar to a phone switching into power-saving mode, in order to conserve resources for healing.
• The conversation highlights gut disruption after concussion and the brain gut connection, including the shared embryologic origin of the gut and brain.
• Symptoms can appear later because compensation hides deficits at first, especially when a person returns to walking, thinking, school, or work.
• CT and MRI scans can show bleeds or masses, but they do not measure functional issues like balance, eye tracking, vestibular function, or brain energy.
• Functional testing such as QEEG, balance testing, vestibular testing, and autonomic evaluation can help explain lingering symptoms when imaging looks normal.
• The episode closes with a reminder that age does not rule out improvement, and that functional optimization can still be pursued at any stage of life.

Timestamps

(00:00) Introducing Concussion Conversations and the invisible injury
(01:47) What makes an injury a concussion
(02:51) Head impacts that may still count even without obvious trauma
(03:20) When symptoms make concussion more likely
(05:58) Why loss of consciousness is not required
(06:45) What happens inside the skull during impact
(07:21) Brain dissection and the difference between fixed and unfixed brains
(09:24) The jello model of brain movement and shearing
(11:21) How nerve fibers get torn and inflammation begins
(12:40) Why concussion severity depends on force, age, and recovery
(14:16) Gut disruption and the brain gut connection after injury
(17:24) Low brain power on QEEG and why the brain slows down
(20:13) Why the brain conserves energy like a phone in low power mode
(21:00) Why symptoms may show up later at home, school, or work
(24:40) Everyday tasks that become harder after concussion
(25:58) What CT and MRI can and cannot tell you
(27:20) Hope after a normal scan and persistent symptoms
(28:47) Why brain health and balance matter at every age
(30:08) Brain localization map and patient resources
(31:12) Closing thoughts and encouragement to heal

#bagnellbraincenter #concussion #braininjury #neuroscience #mTBI

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Pediatric Concussions: What Parents Should Look For

May Bagnell, IHP, and Dr. Michael K. Bagnell unpack pediatric concussions in a conversation focused on what parents often miss. They explain how concussions can happen in everyday childhood moments, why symptoms may show up as behavior or school changes, and when a head injury should be treated as an emergency.We discuss the difference between obvious injuries and subtle concussion signs, why children may compensate for weeks before symptoms surface, and how baseline brain testing can help with future comparisons.

Key topics

• In this episode, May Bagnell and Dr. Michael K. Bagnell explain that children absolutely can get concussions, and they may present differently than adults.
• They cover common causes in kids, including skateboarding, bicycling, playground falls, home accidents, and even running into furniture or into another child.
• Dr. Bagnell emphasizes that parents often notice a child is just "different" after a hit, even when there is no obvious emergency symptom.
• Behavioral changes discussed include clinginess, crying, emotional reactivity, anxiety, aggression toward siblings, and personality shifts.
• They explain that symptoms can be subtle in younger children, making it important to observe sleep, headaches, focus, attention, and concentration over time.
• The conversation highlights how the brain may compensate after injury, which can make a child seem fine even when function has changed.
• They break down pediatric brain function into three domains: movement, executive function, and social-emotional health.
• They discuss when to treat a head injury as urgent, including bleeding, loss of consciousness, vomiting, breathing concerns, or cervical spine concerns.
• They also note that concussion can happen without a direct blow to the head, including from whiplash.
• Dr. Bagnell explains why baseline testing can be useful before sports or during development, especially for balance, eye tracking, and brain function comparison.
• The episode closes with stories showing how untreated pediatric concussion can affect academics, emotions, sports participation, and long-term well-being, while early rehab can support recovery.

Timestamps

00:00 - Why pediatric concussions are often overlooked
01:09 - Yes, kids can get concussions
01:37 - Common causes: sports, playgrounds, and home falls
02:33 - Why subtle injuries can be missed at first
03:44 - Clinginess, emotion, and behavior changes parents notice
04:21 - Anxiety and aggression after head impacts
05:42 - Why kids may compensate and look "fine"
07:07 - What happens when care turns into "just wait a month"
08:13 - The three domains: movement, executive function, and social-emotional health
09:06 - Focus, concentration, and attention as warning signs
10:07 - Which head injury looks like an emergency?
11:32 - Concussion can happen without a direct hit
12:18 - What parents should watch in the first week
13:47 - Why baseline testing matters before sports
15:05 - Impact testing, eye tracking, balance, and EEG response
16:18 - Brain health screening as part of childhood care
17:14 - Early intervention for anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and depression risks
18:29 - A current patient recovering well after a minor impact
19:44 - A football practice injury affected mood and school
20:59 - A case where a neurologist said children don't get concussions
21:54 - A bullying-related concussion with vestibular and walking issues
22:55 - Why healing brains matters for future emotional health
23:16 - Soccer heading and serious emotional consequences
24:27 - How parents can ask better questions and support healing
25:22 - Closing reminder: you can heal, and we can help

#concussions #concussionrecovery #pediatricconcussions #brainhealth #brainoptimization #kids #kidssports

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Understanding Concussion and the Road to Recovery

This episode launches the “Concussion Conversations" series with a real family story about an older adult who fell, hit her head, and was later found to have a subdural brain bleed. The family describes how the initial hospital focus was on a possible cardiac event, while the head injury and its ongoing effects received less attention. Dr. Bagnell and Ms. May Bagnell discuss the symptoms that emerged in the days after the fall, the challenges of recovery, and the importance of support and patience. They share practical takeaways for families caring for older adults after a head impact.

Key topics

• The story of Abby, who fell in her kitchen and developed a pounding headache the next day
• Why the ER initially evaluated a possible cardiac event, and how a CT scan later revealed a subdural brain bleed
• Symptoms that appeared in the days after the injury, including sleepiness, repeated stories, word-finding difficulties, memory lapses, and headache
• How the speakers describe concussion as an “invisible injury” and discuss a QEEG brain map
• The importance of monitoring for symptoms that may emerge or worsen after the initial injury
• Recovery support discussed in the episode, including photobiomodulation, manual therapy, and reducing stress
• Practical guidance for families: seek an evaluation early, allow time for recovery, and respond compassionately to repeated stories or cognitive changes

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome back and introduction to the series
01:53 – Abby’s fall in the kitchen
02:23 – The headache and call to her primary care provider
03:20 – ER diagnosis of syncope and the delayed head CT
05:06 – The CT reveals a subdural brain bleed
06:33 – Hospital monitoring and stabilization
07:01 – Symptoms that appeared days later
08:22 – Follow-up imaging and the start of recovery support
09:03 – The family’s concerns about head-injury guidance
10:06 – QEEG brain mapping and low brain wave power
11:35 – Changes in memory, word-finding, and energy
13:13 – Abby’s independence before the fall
13:42 – Recovery approaches discussed by the family
14:17 – Head pain and a possible cervicogenic component
15:11 – Reconstructing how the fall may have happened
16:04 – Why symptoms can change after a head impact
17:30 – Anxiety, brain fog, and sleep changes
17:58 – Signs of gradual improvement and ongoing challenges
19:21 – Frustration, patience, and emotional support during recovery
21:17 – Head impacts and falls in older adults
23:02 – Three takeaways for families
24:21 – Responding to repeated stories with compassion
25:17 – Redirection and engaging the brain in a new direction
26:31 – Series wrap-up and a preview of the next episode

#ConcussionRecovery #BrainHealth #Falls #MTBI #BagnellBrainCenter #MemoryLoss #CognitiveHealth

For more information, visit us at www.bagnellbraincenter.com.

You CAN Heal! We CAN Help!!