Takeaway
White matter abnormalities in sports-related concussion (SRC) persist post-injury even after resolution of clinical symptoms; severity of white matter injury is associated with worse clinical outcomes and prolonged recovery time.
Why this matters
Millions of sports- and recreation-related concussions occur each year in high school and collegiate athletes, but the natural history of these injuries and their pathophysiologic recovery time course is unclear.
Awareness of SRC brain abnormalities that persist beyond clinical presentation could impact current management of these injuries as well as relevant protocols in, and monitoring of, collegiate contact sports.