From dizziness to memory loss, concussions are associated with a range of unpleasant symptoms.
Now, a new study has warned that around a third of people may be walking around with these symptoms, without suffering any head injury.
Instead, researchers say that stress and lack of sleep are causing these concussion-like symptoms.
The team hopes the findings will help doctors figure out which symptoms are due to head injuries and which have other causes.
A new study has warned that almost a third of people may be walking around with concussion symptoms, without suffering any head injury
A survey of more than 31,000 people showed that insufficient sleep, mental health problems, and stress were the causes of a whole host of symptoms doctors are used to seeing in head injury patients.
Symptoms included in what doctors call post-concussion syndrome (PCS) range from persistent headaches, dizziness and anxiety, to insomnia and loss of concentration and memory.
While 27 per cent of people reported several symptoms, between one half and three quarters said they experienced one – mainly fatigue or low energy and drowsiness.
But researchers believe the number in the general population could be much higher.
The American study, funded by the NCAA – the National Collegiate Athletic Association – and the US military, was designed to improve care for athletes and soldiers who suffered concussions.
A total of 2,039 military service academy cadets and 18,548 student athletes were surveyed.
The study’s lead author, Dr Jaclyn Caccese, assistant professor in The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said: ‘The numbers were high, and were consistent with previous research in this area, but it is quite shocking.
‘These are elite athletes who are physically fit, and they are experiencing that many symptoms commonly reported following concussion. So looking across the general population, they’d probably have even more.’
Researchers hope their results will help doctors figure out which symptoms are due to head injuries and which had other causes.
Dr Caccese added: ‘When a patient comes into a clinic and they are a month or more out from their most recent concussion, we need to know what symptoms they were experiencing before their concussion to know if their symptoms are attributable to their concussion or something else.
From dizziness to memory loss, concussions are associated with a range of unpleasant symptoms
‘Then we can start treating the concussion-related symptoms to hopefully help people recover more quickly.’
For both military cadets and athletes, sleep problems – particularly insufficient sleep the night before the test – and mental health problems had the strongest links to concussion-like daze effects.
Meanwhile struggling academically, migraines, ADHD, and depression also contributed to PCS symptoms.
While some symptoms are closely connected to concussion – like dizziness, pressure in the head, or sensitivity to light or noise – others, like fatigue, drowsiness and even headaches, can be linked to a variety of causes, leaving doctors puzzle solving when confronted with a new patient.
Dr Caccese said: ‘Perhaps we can create a battery of symptoms more specific to concussion.’
The Study, conducted by the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium, has been published in the journal Sports Science.
Dr Caccese added: ‘This hopefully not only shows clinicians that we need to consider how people would have presented before injury, but also provides some normative data so they can interpret other patients.’
‘We really don’t know a lot about why people have persistent symptoms, and it seems to be very variable.
‘So we’re trying to understand this better to help predict who will have a prolonged recovery, and who will not.’