Shaken Brain: The Science, Care, and Treatment of Concussion

by Elizabeth Sandel

A physician with thirty-five years of experience treating people with brain injuries shares the latest research on concussions and best practices for care.

The explosion of attention to sports concussions has many of us thinking about the addled brains of our football and hockey heroes. But concussions happen to everyone, not just elite athletes. Children fall from high chairs, drivers and cyclists get into accidents, and workers encounter unexpected obstacles on the job. Concussions are prevalent, occurring even during everyday activities. In fact, in less time than it takes to read this sentence, three Americans will experience a concussion. The global statistics are no less staggering.

Shaken Brain offers expert advice and urgently needed answers. Elizabeth Sandel, MD, is a Board-certified physician who has spent more than three decades treating patients with traumatic brain injuries, training clinicians, and conducting research. Here she explains the scientific evidence for what happens to the brain and body after a concussion. And she shares stories from a diverse group of patients, educating readers on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Few people understand that what they do in the aftermath of their injury will make a dramatic difference to their future well-being; patient experiences testify to the best practices for concussion sufferers and their caregivers. Sandel also shows how to evaluate risks before participating in activities and how to use proven safety strategies to mitigate these risks.

Today concussions aren't just injuries--they're big news. And, like anything in the news, they're the subject of much misinformation. Shaken Brain is the resource patients and their families, friends, and caregivers need to understand how concussions occur, what to expect from healthcare providers, and what the long-term consequences may be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine, Medical, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2020

About the author

Elizabeth Sandel, MD has decades of experience providing care for people with brain injuries and other neurological disorders, in health systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California. Her mission is to educate the public using clear explanations and storytelling. Her website (elizabethsandelmd.com) provides interviews and blogs to supplement her book, Shaken Brain: The Science, Care, and Treatment of Concussion (Harvard University Press, 2020). Dr. Sandel is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and brain injury medicine. She is a medical director for Paradigm and serves of the faculty of the University of California/Davis School of Medicine.

Reviews

[Kaye Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who wants to learn more about concussions—what can cause them, how they can be diagnosed and treated, and what are their long-term risks--should read Elizabeth Sandel, M.D.’s book, Shaken Brain. Not only has she been caring for patients with traumatic brain injuries for several decades, Dr. Sandel is a clear and engaging writer, as well as a thorough researcher--the book includes 60 pages of references! She begins each chapter with a story of someone who has suffered a concussion—sometimes a patient of hers, sometimes a character in a film or novel, sometimes an historical account. Part One of the book (“An Imperfect Science”) includes chapters on the basic science of the brain and what can be disrupted by a traumatic injury to the head; on the methods of diagnosing concussions; on the value of coordinated team-based care; and on the potential long-term consequences of concussions. While neuroscience is a rapidly advancing field, there is much that science does not yet understand about the brain’s complex architecture and workings. These gaps in scientific knowledge make diagnosing concussions, designing appropriate care programs, and predicting their outcomes a challenge for health care providers as well as for their patients, who want to know when their symptoms will resolve.

Because full recovery cannot be guaranteed, especially if a person has suffered multiple concussions, preventing traumatic brain injury is critically important. Part Two (“To Play or Not to Play”) and Part Three (“Dangers at Home and Work”) explore situations in which people are at higher risk of concussions. These include not only football and other collision sports, but physical activities such as bicycling, cheerleading, horseback riding, skateboarding, and skiing, where accidents can occur. Not all concussions result from sports and exercise, for many concussions arise from falls within the home (particularly for infants, children, and the elderly) and from domestic violence. In addition, people in occupations such as construction, firefighting, law enforcement, and the military, experience higher risks of brain injuries. In her book, Dr. Sandel describes ways that individuals can reduce their risks of head trauma in physical sports, in the home, and at work, and she acknowledges the need for more research, clinical training, and evidence-based guidelines and regulations.

This book is a rich resource for people who have had a concussion, for those who are caring for friends and family members with head injuries, and for everyone who wants to reduce their risk of head trauma. Dr. Sandel has written a clearly organized book with a thorough index and with endnotes that include links to thirty websites that can help us stay informed about advances in brain science, diagnostic methods, concussion care, and recommendations for making sports, exercising, homes, and workplaces safer. I highly recommend this book!

[John Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, detailed, up to date, and clearly written, Shaken Brain explains what we currently know about concussions, their treatment and prevention. If you want to understand what's going on in the brain after a concussion, how much evidence we have for treatment regimes, and why we deal with concussions (or not) the way we do now, this book will answer your questions.

[Ashton E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how easy to read and accessible this book is to supporting people with TBI’s or caregivers or people in general in how to reduce their risks. It gives a lot of evidence intertwined with stories which I found helpful.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would not recommend for someone looking for advice on treating a concussion. This is more about statistics of concussions in different sports and professions, and generally warning how serious they are and that they need to be take more seriously - but doesn't give many useful treatment recommendations or next steps for patients.

[Jaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly researches, well written and very informational. Dr Sandel does an excellent job weaving in personal patient cases and the science/politics/conundrums surrounding TBI. It is loaded with information and will be a book in my “must reread” shelf!

[Maddox O'Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

every clinician, every coach, every athlete, every parent, everyone with a brain should read this!!! her research is thorough, her language concise and clear, this is a definitive and invaluable resource

[Marilyn]

Buy several
Copies at BN

[Olivia Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite was I was looking for, but still an interesting read to help me figure out what is going on in my brain.

[Abbey · Rating 1 out of 5]

A better title would be "The Social Risk Factors of TBIs and their Legal Implications". This book is all about football equipment and legal liability and military service outcomes -- when I turned to the back cover, I found that the author works in workers' comp estimates or something like that, not actual medicine.

I picked up this book looking for concussion recovery statistics, recovery timelines, evidence-based treatments, and the health effects (if any) of recurrent concussion. I was looking to understand my past and potential future health, and that of family and friends who have also had TBIs of varying degrees. Very little of that useful information was there. The only tips I'm walking away with are "wear a helmet" (already knew) and "don't serve in the military" (wasn't planning to).

idk the book is what it is, but it is factually misnamed and that was frustrating and felt manipulative. Given the name, I think most people picking up this book are not actually very interested in the legal liability of the NFL, we just want to know what the evidence is around nutrition and rest. It is deceitful marketing to name it "care & treatment of concussion". One star.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it did a good job at explaining the complications of head injuries. It felt well researched. They discussed multiple view points and stressed the need for further studies. Inspired me to look into concussions further for a project in school.