What type of brain injury usually occurs in coup and contrecoup incidents?

In cases of coup and contrecoup incidents, a contusion is commonly experienced. This type of brain injury occurs when there is a direct impact to the skull that causes a bruise on the brain at the site of the impact (coup), as well as potentially a secondary bruise on the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup) due to the movement and deformation of the brain tissue within the skull.

The mechanism behind this involves both the initial impact and the subsequent acceleration-deceleration forces that occur, particularly in situations like car accidents or falls. The contusion results from the blood vessels in the brain being damaged, leading to bleeding and swelling in the affected areas. This can result in symptoms ranging from loss of consciousness to cognitive impairments, depending on the severity and location of the injury.

To contrast, while a concussion is also related to brain injury often associated with impact, it mainly involves a temporary impairment of brain function rather than localized damage like a contusion. Diffuse axonal injury refers to widespread damage to the brain's white matter often due to rotational forces and is quite different in terms of mechanics and pathology than coup and contrecoup injuries. A subdural hematoma involves bleeding between the brain and its outermost