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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

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Your nervous system may not be “broken”—it may be stuck in a loop.

Dr. Michael Bagnell and May Bagnell, IHP break down how sensory mismatch, anxiety, and autonomic dysregulation can keep your brain locked in survival mode, and what it actually takes to regain flexibility. They unpack the feedback loop where a physical sensation is interpreted as danger, protective activation increases, and the symptoms feel even stronger. If you’ve ever been told to “just calm down,” felt dismissed by your symptoms, or wondered why your body seems to overreact to dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, or visually busy environments, this conversation offers a clearer framework.In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why regulation is about changing states appropriately—not being relaxed all the time
• How mismatches in vision, vestibular function, and body position can create feelings of fear or unsafety
• Why anxiety may involve different areas of the brain, including the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, cerebellum, limbic system, and brainstem
• How exteroception, interoception, and proprioception help the brain determine whether you are safe
• Why language, mindset, and simple mantras can influence how intensely symptoms are experienced

May shares her personal experience using self-talk to shift from “something is wrong” to “what can I do to help myself?” Dr. Bagnell explains how brain mapping, autonomic testing, and a signal-restoration approach can help identify what may be driving symptoms instead of simply chasing them. This episode also reframes the idea of being “stuck”—not as a personality flaw, but as a reduced ability to adapt, which can improve with the right insight and support. If you’re dealing with anxiety, vestibular symptoms, chronic stress, or the feeling that your brain and body are no longer working together, this conversation offers language, understanding, and hope for a more flexible nervous system.

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Your experience of dizziness, anxiety, brain fog, or “off” feeling may not be random - your brain could be misreading reality in real time. Dr. Michael Bagnell and May Bagnell break open the first episode of their five-part Adaptive Brain series, revealing how the brain constantly predicts what should happen next by blending vision, inner ear input, body position, and prior experience. When those signals stop matching, symptoms can show up as disorientation, fatigue, nausea, panic-like feelings, trouble driving at night, overwhelm in grocery stores, or even a sense that you can’t trust your own body.

Dr. Bagnell explains the neuroscience behind predictive processing, prediction error, sensory re-weighting, and why normal-looking routine tests can miss the real problem. Mae Bagnell adds the lived experience and coaching perspective, highlighting how these issues can look like anxiety, how avoidant patterns can quietly make things worse, and why recognizing your own symptom patterns creates more agency instead of fear.You'll discover:

• Why the brain is more like a prediction engine than a video camera

• How prediction error drives learning, adaptation, and neuroplasticity

• Why sensory mismatch can feel like dizziness, anxiety, or disconnection

• What grocery stores, scrolling, night driving, patterned floors, and head turns have in common

• How “more is not better” when it comes to recovery and sensory challenge

This conversation also shows how functional neurology approaches these problems with targeted testing of the eyes, vestibular system, body position, reaction time, heart rate variability, and more - then uses precise, tolerable challenges to help the brain recalibrate.Essential listening if you or someone you love deals with unexplained dizziness, motion sensitivity, visual overwhelm, post-concussion symptoms, migraine-related issues, or that unsettling feeling that everyday environments have become too much. The good news: your brain can adapt, and the right input at the right dose can help it do exactly that.

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Anxiety, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, and pain may not be random symptoms - they can be signals.

Dr. Michael and May Bagnell, IHP reveal a powerful new way to understand mental health, one that looks beyond the diagnosis and into the brain-body patterns driving how you feel. Fresh from a professional conference where they trained doctors and practitioners on the connection between the brain, body, and mental health, the Bagnells unpack why so many symptoms are really about regulation, prediction, and protection. Instead of asking only, "What is wrong?" they ask a better question: What is the nervous system responding to?You’ll discover:

• Why mental health is often a regulation story, not just a chemistry story
• How the brain uses input, processing, and output to create symptoms like dizziness, anxiety, and brain fog
• Why the brain is a prediction machine that constantly checks whether the world matches what it expects
• How movement, sensory input, sleep, nutrition, inflammation, and breathwork shape nervous system health
• Why pain and anxiety can be protective outputs, not proof that something is broken
• How shifting from "What’s wrong with me?" to "What is my nervous system responding to?" can change everything

Dr. Michael Bagnell brings the functional neurology perspective, showing how the cerebellum, vestibular system, autonomic nervous system, and movement all influence brain regulation and stability. May Bagnell adds the lived, coaching-centered lens, exploring how meaning, identity, emotional processing, and mindset can either reinforce distress or help the body and brain move through it. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of symptoms, or you care about someone who seems anxious, overwhelmed, dizzy, or exhausted without a clear explanation, this episode offers a more hopeful framework. It’s a grounded, practical conversation about restoring signal, rebuilding safety, and creating the conditions for real change.Perfect for anyone ready to understand the deeper story beneath the symptoms - and what to do next.

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The Hidden Conversation Between Your Eyes and Brain

Discover how your eyes and brain communicate in this episode, revealing why understanding this connection can influence visual health, focus, and overall brain function. Whether you’re experiencing eye strain, reading difficulty, or brain fog, learn how eye movements reflect your brain health and what you can do to optimize it.

Key Topics:

• How the eye functions as a camera capturing light and information
• The brain’s role in interpreting visual data and filling in blind spots
• The significance of eye movements, including saccades and convergence, for brain health
• How visual issues relate to neurological conditions like concussion, Alzheimer’s, and ADHD
• The impact of eye-brain connections on focus, attention, and fatigue
• Techniques to train eye movements and improve cognitive function
• The importance of pupil response as a biomarker for brain and autonomic health
• Practical signs of convergence problems and how they affect daily life
• The relationship between eye movements and vestibular system health
• The significance of fixation and eye stability in attention and brain vitality

Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to the hidden conversation between eyes and brain

00:09 - Why we see with our brain, not just our eyes
01:36 - How photography illustrates the eye-brain connection
02:44 - The brain’s role as a perception machine filling in gaps
04:35 - How scrambled sentences demonstrate the brain’s processing capabilities
05:34 - Eye movements as a reflection of brain health
06:04 - Using eye tracking to identify brain injuries like concussions
06:58 - Common visual symptoms linked to brain function, such as eye strain and headaches
07:53 - The importance of eye movements in assessing neurological health
08:23 - The role of the fovea in focus and peripheral vision
09:17 - How retinal and peripheral vision provide context and environmental awareness
09:38 - Visual issues related to glasses and convergence challenges
10:09 - Asking patients about their everyday visual experiences to identify neurological causes
11:37 - The relationship between eye movements, body posture, and focus
12:38 - How different eye movements (saccades, pursuits, convergence) reflect brain function
14:08 - The importance of accurate saccades for attention and brain fatigue management
16:34 - Training eye movements to improve focus and reduce cognitive fatigue
19:24 - Eye training exercises and tools to strengthen brain function
22:17 - Convergence issues common in young people and those with sensory or attention disorders
23:36 - Symptoms indicating convergence problems and their impact on daily life
25:36 - Pupil responses as a measure of cognitive and autonomic health
26:39 - The interconnectedness of eye and vestibular system health and their role post-injury
28:44 - How visual input influences emotional regulation and sensory processing
29:12 - Practical takeaways for recognizing and addressing vision-related brain health issuesFinal Thoughts:Understanding the hidden conversation between your eyes and brain can provide valuable insights into neurological health and aid in targeted therapies. Paying attention to eye movements, visual fatigue, and focus issues can be key in early detection and intervention for brain health challenges.

#NeuroHealth #VisionAndBrain #BrainHacks #EyeMovementTraining #BrainScience #TheBagnellBrainCenter

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The Hidden Conversation Between Your Brain and Heart: How Nervous System Regulation Affects Heart Rate and Resilience

Explore the intricate, two-way communication between your brain and heart, and learn how understanding this dialogue can unlock better management of heart rate variations, emotional influences, and overall resilience. This episode reveals the science behind autonomic regulation and offers practical insights for improving heart-brain health.

Key topics - 5-10 bullets:

• The brain and heart are not separate systems but operate as a connected team influencing each other’s function.
• The cardiovascular system provides feedforward signals to the brain, helping it respond to movement, stress, or posture changes.
• The autonomic nervous system, specifically the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, modulates heart rate and blood pressure.
• Baroreceptors in blood vessels and the vagus nerve serve as critical sensors and regulators within this communication loop.
• Emotional states, stress, and trauma significantly impact the heart-brain dialogue, often exacerbating dysregulation.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a valuable indicator of autonomic responsiveness and resilience.
• Dysautonomia and conditions like POTS can disrupt normal heart-brain interactions, leading to symptoms like lightheadedness, fatigue, and palpitations.
• Pattern recognition in physiological responses facilitates better management and coaching to restore balance.
• Mindset, emotional regulation, and breath work are powerful tools for modulating autonomic activity.
• Addressing multiple variables—biological, emotional, behavioral—is essential for holistic healing.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the brain-heart hidden conversation and its importance
01:11 - Science behind the interconnected brain and cardiovascular systems
02:36 - How blood vessels and nervous signals regulate the heart-brain loop
03:28 - Brain mechanisms that influence cardiac function and heart rate changes
04:41 - The role of the autonomic nervous system, including sympathetic and parasympathetic branches
05:02 - Cortical and limbic brain areas impacting heart regulation during emotional states
06:36 - The influence of the vagus nerve and baroreceptors in heart rate control
07:19 - How patterns and triggers influence heart-brain communication
08:02 - Recognizing symptoms of dysautonomia and understanding their triggers
09:10 - The role of stress, emotion, and emotional states in heart rate variability
10:00 - How emotional regulation affects chronic conditions like balance issues and dysautonomia
11:56 - Using HRV as a neurocardiac health indicator and its measurement with wearables
13:23 - Practical interventions: mindset, breathing, and vagal activation strategies
15:23 - Future pacing and shifting focus from past limitations to new health opportunities
16:50 - The importance of mindset, emotional awareness, and personal agency in physical health
17:58 - How pattern recognition in symptoms helps demystify heart-brain dysregulation
18:50 - Utilizing HRV to understand vagal modulation and resilience potential
20:09 - Symptoms of heart-brain dysregulation and the importance of pattern recognition
21:33 - Brain regions involved in heart regulation and the neurophysiological basis of symptoms
23:02 - The vagus nerve and its role as the body's braking system for heart rate control
25:23 - Pattern identification and the significance of physiological triggers
27:49 - The importance of awareness, mindset, and functional strategies in recovery
32:25 - Creating calm through breathing, emotional regulation, and neurological practices
33:12 - Closing thoughts on holistic approaches and personal empowerment in healing

Endnote: This episode emphasizes that understanding and optimizing the brain-heart connection is fundamental for improving resilience, managing symptoms, and fostering holistic health. By recognizing patterns and regulating emotional states, you can enhance your nervous system’s health and overall well-being.

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