I think concussion and post-concussion syndrome in man is due to malfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear, nothing to do with the brain. It occurs to me that a good way to test this is in fish. Fish can be rendered unconscious by electric shock, blow on the head, loud sound (fish bomb, pistol shrimp, etc). I think the general presumption is that this is mediated by damage to the brain, but it is surely more plausible to assume this is mediated by damage to the peripheral organs of balance and/or hearing. I was watching Orca on the TV last night, who had worked out that slapping the water stunned their prey. I am not familiar with the animal literature, but is there any evidence on whether the peripheral sensory or central neural theory best explains the concussion.
I don't see how you can call organs connected by vestibulocochlear nerve CN 8 as peripheral . The neural shearing and micro-hemorrhages that occurs with concussions would be sufficient cause post concussive symptoms
"I don't see how you can call organs connected by vestibulocochlear nerve CN 8 as peripheral"
In clinical human neuro-otology, auditory and vestibular disorders arise from the middle or inner ears, occasionally from the 8th nerve itself. These are all classified as peripheral lesions.
"The neural shearing and micro-hemorrhages that occurs with concussions"
Are you proposing that bruising of the 8th nerve may cause concussion in humans? This cannot be the case since there is no dose effect -- concussion and post-concussion syndrome are particularly likely after minor head injury. There is a perfectly good and more plausible alternative -- a leak from the inner ear into the middle ear. There is no clinical syndrome of 8th nerve bleed even (as I have just lately found out to my surprise), after intraventricular hemorrhage in infants.
I am not sure how any of this is relevant to fish, which is why I put up the question.
OK Im not a ENT just being a cranial nerve makes it central? I think any brain lesion caused by concussion (memory loss) causes post concussive , the vertigo by cochlea damage of some sort , so maybe two components
"I think any brain lesion caused by concussion (memory loss) causes post concussive , the vertigo by cochlea damage of some sort , so maybe two components"
I am saying it is unnecessary (and non-parsimonious) to postulate two components. Vestibular damage or dysfunction in the ear can lead to confusion, brain fog, poor concentration and impaired memory. This may not be apparent to otologists, but patients know this only too well, as witnessed by many testimonies on the internet.
"So what is your hypothesis?"
I don't know the basis of stunning or concussion in fish, which is why I put up the question. I have just heard a presentation of a new model of the vestibular system in zebra fish, which as well as being an excellent way of researching human variants, can also be used to check if stunning is of vestibular origin.
In humans, there is a mass of evidence to implicate the vestibular system in concussion, and especially the post-concussion syndrome. A few of my publications on RG sketch this out. I do not have a definite theory as to the precise damage involved, and in fact it may be a result of functional vestibular overload from sudden change in head acceleration, as with a KO in boxing (note the buckling of the legs, the loss of balance). Unfortunately, neurologists and psychologists are so sure concussion must be due to brain damage, that they are not testing or even considering this theory, which should be easy enough to refute if it is untrue.
I have rather belatedly discovered that electrical stunning is used in the slaughter of poultry and farm animals. However, the same question arises. Is the unconsciousness due to activation of the brain or of the vestibular organs? My preliminary enquiries do not lead me to suppose that this question has been posed, let alone answered.