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Update on the Epidemiology of Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Concussion and Head Injury (S Lucas, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Mild traumatic injuries to the brain (e.g., concussion) are common and have been recognized since antiquity, although definitions have varied historically. Nonetheless, studying the epidemiology of concussion helps clarify the overall importance, risk factors, and at-risk populations for this injury. The present review will focus on recent findings related to the epidemiology of concussion including definition controversies, incidence, and patterns in the population overall and in the military and athlete populations specifically. Finally, as this is an area of active research, we will discuss how future epidemiologic observations hold promise for gaining greater clarity about concussion and mild traumatic brain injury.

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Acknowledgments

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the US Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Case Number: 88ABW-2014-4905, 28 Oct 2014.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

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Conflict of Interest

Jameson D. Voss, Joseph Connolly, Karen A. Schwab, and Ann I. Scher each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology Consult Service, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), 2510 5th Street, Building 840, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), OH, 45433-7913, USA

    Jameson D. Voss

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Jameson D. Voss, Karen A. Schwab & Ann I. Scher

  3. Residency in Aerospace Medicine, USAFSAM, 2510 5th Street, Building 840, WPAFB, Fairborn, OH, 45433-7913, USA

    Joseph Connolly

  4. Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Suite 6-100, 1335 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Karen A. Schwab

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  1. Jameson D. Voss
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  2. Joseph Connolly
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  3. Karen A. Schwab
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  4. Ann I. Scher
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Correspondence to Jameson D. Voss.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Concussion and Head Injury

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Voss, J.D., Connolly, J., Schwab, K.A. et al. Update on the Epidemiology of Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Curr Pain Headache Rep 19, 32 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-015-0506-z

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