3. Anxiety and PTSD
Persons suffering from a grade two or three concussion experience a significant volume decrease in brain activity during the first year after the injury. The volume changes correlate with cognitive disruptions in attention span, memory, and feelings of anxiety. The two central regions of the brain affected by this loss of cognitive volume are the precorneal and the anterior cingulate region.
The anterior cingulate is responsible for mood disorders including anxiety and depression while the precorneal area has many different links to regions of the brain charged with the cognitive functions of higher-order thinking and executive function.
PTSD has links to specific concussion symptoms that persist for longer than three months after a severe head injury. More than 7.7 million Americans above 18 years of age have symptoms of PTSD. Women are at higher risk than men for post-traumatic stress disorder with children exposed to developing the condition as well.