Concussions
Concussions
To the tune of “It Was a Shit Show” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
[Verse 1]
Site of the blow
It is known
In a concussion as the coup
The brain will slide
Hit the opposite side
Of the skull to produce the countercoup
But pressure change
Can cause the brain
To slide around and hit the skull
So a direct hit
Is not a requisite
Of a concussion
[Verse 2]
CTE
Is a disease
Resulting from repeated head trauma
Thought to be caused
By the build up
Of P-tau in neurons and neuroglia
Tau proteins
When they’re healthy
Help with microtubule stabilization
But phosphorylated
They aggregate
And cause neurodegeneration
[Bridge]
Symptoms can be highly variable
Depending on where the coup and countercoup are
Athletes who carry E4 variant of APOE gene
Might be more likely
To develop brain injuries
[Verse 3]
Too much rest
Is not the best
And may actually make symptoms worse
After a day
The concussed may
Return to daily life until symptoms reoccur
For some injuries
It may be
More difficult to recover
This may be caused
By damaged axons
Which may not repair themselves but the brain can
Rewire
