Concussion in relation to sports, the most suitable definition is a clinical syndrome characterised by the immediate and transient post-traumatic impairment of neural function such as alteration of consciousness, disturbance of vision or equilibrium due to mechanical forces.
Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), while mild in symptoms which majority of the time symptoms disappear, within a short period of time. This risk of having a second concussion before complete recovery from the initial concussion is referred to as second impact syndrome and may lead to cerebral oedema that, in many cases, results in permanent disability or death.
Repeated mild TBI has been associated with long-term cognitive impairment in the setting of neurodegenerative disease.
It is, therefore, imperative to screen patients appropriately who present after a recent blow to the head.