--- description: September is Concussion Awareness Month. Learn how migraines, cognitive testing, and eye exams reveal hidden brain injuries after a crash. title: Concussion Awareness Month: Signs, Recovery & Legal Help canonical: https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/concussion-awareness-month-september-2026/ date_published: 2026-09-03T17:45:15+00:00 date_modified: 2026-09-03T17:45:21+00:00 practice_area: blog --- - Concussion Awareness Month: Signs, Recovery & Legal Help [Skip to content](#content) # Concussion Awareness Month, September 2026 September is **Concussion Awareness Month**, a time to recognize the serious and sometimes overlooked effects of concussions and [mild traumatic brain injuries](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/brain-injury-lawyers/mild-tbi/). A concussion may not leave a visible mark, and standard imaging may appear normal, but that doesn’t mean the injury isn’t affecting how a person thinks, moves, works, or sees. ## Migraine History May Affect Concussion Recovery in Student Athletes When it comes to recovering from a sport-related concussion, not all athletes follow the same timeline. Emerging research suggests that a history of migraines before injury may play an important role in recovery, particularly when it comes to returning to academic activities. Researchers followed 1,409 NCAA Division III athletes who sustained concussions between 2014 and 2020. Of those athletes, 7.9% reported a history of migraines. Recovery was evaluated using two key milestones: Return-to-Learn (RTL): Returning to academic activities without accommodations - Return-to-Play (RTP): Safely returning to sport participation The study sought to determine if a pre-existing migraine history influenced concussion recovery outcomes. What they found was that athletes with a history of migraines took significantly longer to fully return to academics. Even after accounting for factors such as age, sex, symptom severity, and other health conditions, migraine history remained an independent predictor of delayed academic recovery. Interestingly, the average time to return to play was similar between groups, at approximately 15 days. However, a closer look revealed an important nuance: fewer athletes with migraines had successfully returned to play by 28 and 56 days post-injury. While overall recovery timelines appeared comparable, athletes with migraine histories experienced greater variability and were more likely to encounter prolonged recovery. Several factors may contribute to these findings, including shared neurological mechanisms underlying both migraines and concussion symptoms; increased sensitivity to light, noise, and cognitive demands; and greater susceptibility to [post-concussion symptoms](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/brain-injury-lawyers/post-concussion-syndrome/) such as headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. These overlapping factors may make the cognitive demands of studying, attending class, and completing coursework particularly challenging during recovery. For athletes with a history of migraines, it may be important to anticipate a longer return-to-learn process and consider academic accommodations early in recovery. For clinicians, athletic trainers, and concussion specialists, migraine history should be incorporated into concussion management plans. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring not only physical recovery but also academic and cognitive recovery, which may require additional support and individualized follow-up. As concussion research continues to evolve, studies like this reinforce the need for personalized recovery strategies. An athlete’s medical history, including a history of migraines, may provide valuable insight into their recovery trajectory and help guide more effective return-to-learn and return-to-play decisions. ## Can a 10-Minute Cognitive Test Help Identify Concussion-Related Deficits? One of the challenges in concussion care is identifying cognitive deficits quickly and efficiently in busy emergency and trauma settings. While comprehensive neurocognitive testing can provide valuable information, these assessments are not always practical at the bedside. A recent study explored whether a brief, iPad-based cognitive assessment could help fill this gap. Researchers at the University of California – Irvine evaluated the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing-Quick Test (ImPACT-QT), an abbreviated iPad-based version of computerized cognitive testing, in patients treated at a Level-1 trauma center. The study enrolled 233 trauma patients between the ages of 12 and 70 years, of whom 179 (76%) were diagnosed with mTBI; medically unstable patients were excluded from testing. The goal was to determine whether the tool was practical for use in the acute care setting and whether it could detect cognitive differences between patients with and without mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). One of the most notable findings was how feasible the assessment proved to be in a real-world trauma environment. The average testing time was approximately 9.3 minutes; 93% of participants reported that the test was easy to understand. Most importantly, testing was successfully administered in an acute trauma setting, where time and resources are often limited When researchers compared the findings, they found a significant difference in memory performance. Patients with concussion demonstrated lower memory scores than non-TBI controls, even after accounting for factors such as age, sex, race, education level, injury severity, and timing of testing. The groups did not differ significantly in measures of attention or motor speed, which may mean memory impairments are among the more readily detectable cognitive deficits during the acute phase of concussion. Concussions can be difficult to diagnose and monitor because symptoms are often subjective and can overlap with other conditions. A rapid, standardized cognitive assessment that can be administered at the bedside may provide clinicians with additional objective information during the early stages of evaluation. While ImPACT-QT is not intended to replace a comprehensive clinical assessment, the study suggests it may serve as a useful adjunct for identifying acute cognitive changes, particularly memory-related deficits. As concussion care continues to evolve, brief, standardized cognitive testing may become an increasingly valuable component of acute injury evaluation. ## What Can a Patient’s Eyes Tell Us About a Concussion? Diagnosing a concussion in the emergency department can be challenging. Clinicians often rely heavily on patient-reported symptoms, yet symptoms may be delayed, subtle, or overlap with other medical conditions. This can be particularly challenging when evaluating children, who may have difficulty describing exactly how they feel. Visio-vestibular dysfunction is remarkably common after concussion. Research suggests that as many as **9 out of 10 people with concussion may experience problems with their vision, eye movements, and/or balance**. These impairments can contribute to [dizziness](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/car-accident-lawyers/dizziness-after-accident/), headaches, balance problems, blurred vision, nausea, and sensitivity to light or noise. These problems may not be obvious during a standard clinical examination. Symptoms may emerge only when the visual or vestibular systems are challenged. A brief Visio-Vestibular Examination (VVE) can help clinicians identify concussion-related impairments in just a few minutes, offering a practical tool for busy emergency settings. The VVE is an evidence-based, streamlined assessment of how well the visual and vestibular systems are functioning. It can be completed in approximately two to three minutes and has been validated for use in children as young as 5 years old. The examination evaluates several key functions, including smooth eye tracking, rapid eye movements, gaze stability, balance, and gait; together, these measures can help identify disruptions in brain function that commonly occur following a concussion. It provides a practical way to assess concussion-related dysfunction in acute care and office settings, and reveal deficits that might otherwise go undetected. Visuo-vestibular rehabilitation is a specialized program that retrains the brain to coordinate signals between the inner ear (vestibular system) and the eyes (visual system). It treats dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and visual motion sensitivity often caused by concussions. The Vestibular Disorders Association provides a directory of specially trained providers to search for providers according to specialty and geographical location. To locate this online directory, visit [https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/](https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/). ## Concussion At Trial: When a Traffic Case May Be More Than a Traffic Case Many clients involved in a [motor vehicle collision](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/car-accident-lawyers/concussions/) visit a traffic lawyer because of a ticket, license issue, or other traffic-related matter. They may walk in appearing completely normal; they may say: “I’m fine. I just have a ticket.” And it’s this little statement that presents the traffic lawyer with an important opportunity to recognize a potential “invisible injury.” If the first question your traffic lawyer asks is “Did you lose consciousness?” you should know you can have a concussion without losing consciousness. A better conversation explores what happened at the scene, immediately afterward, and during the days following the collision. At the scene, were they dazed, unusually emotional, or unable to remember what happened? Did headache, dizziness, [nausea](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/car-accident-lawyers/nausea-after-car-accident/), visual problems, or cognitive difficulty develop immediately or within a few days?? The lawyer needs to ask the client about their activity over the days following the accident – Did they have difficulty sleeping, concentrating, reading, working, driving, exercising, or tolerating screens? One of the most valuable questions a traffic lawyer can ask is: “What is different about you now compared with before the crash?” Clients may not describe their problem as a concussion. Instead, they may say they are struggling to read, focus at work, tolerate screens, remember information, or participate in activities they previously enjoyed. If so, the issue is no longer simply “How do we defend the traffic charge?” It may also be: “Was this person injured, and have those injuries been properly evaluated?” A personal-injury referral should be strongly considered when there is evidence of a significant collision, documented or suspected bodily injury, emergency-room or urgent-care treatment, persistent symptoms, medical bills or anticipated future treatment, lost wages or diminished ability to work, academic consequences, and insurance complications: Traffic lawyers are often among the first lawyers to speak with a client after a collision. That places them in a unique position to hear the client’s complete story. They do not need to become concussion specialists. They need to [recognize potential warning signs](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/concussion-signs-from-the-brain-injury-association-of-america/), ask about changes in a client’s health and functioning, and understand when further medical evaluation or a referral to an experienced personal-injury lawyer may be appropriate. Sometimes the most important issue in a traffic case isn’t the ticket. It’s the injury the client hasn’t yet recognized. From identifying the significance of subtle symptoms to working with medical and rehabilitation professionals to understand how an injury affects a person’s life, [Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/) understands that brain injury cases require more than simply documenting a diagnosis—they require telling the complete story of the injury and its impact. When a traffic case reveals a potential brain injury, an experienced legal team can make the difference in ensuring that the client’s injuries, recovery, and future needs are fully evaluated and understood. CGBB brings focused experience in representing individuals and [families affected by brain injuries](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/brain-injury-lawyers/), including the complex medical, cognitive, emotional, and functional consequences that may not be immediately visible after a collision. - [The Virginia Trial Firm](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/author/the-virginia-trial-firm/) - [Brain Injury](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/category/brain-injury/) Share This Post #### On This Page ### Contact Us ### Recent Posts ### [Stephanie Grana Named to 2026-27 Virginia 500 Power List](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/stephanie-grana-named-to-2026-27-virginia-500-power-list/) The Virginia Trial Firm September 9, 2026 [Read More »](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/stephanie-grana-named-to-2026-27-virginia-500-power-list/) ### [Concussion Awareness Month, September 2026](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/concussion-awareness-month-september-2026/) The Virginia Trial Firm September 3, 2026 [Read More »](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/concussion-awareness-month-september-2026/) ### [Back to School After a Brain Injury: What Every Parent Needs to Know](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/back-to-school-after-a-brain-injury-what-every-parent-needs-to-know/) The Virginia Trial Firm July 28, 2026 [Read More »](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/back-to-school-after-a-brain-injury-what-every-parent-needs-to-know/) [![all partners at cgbb](https://cdn-enhik.nitrocdn.com/PtWhdKFPEeclDcOWLqiCgcuiKvdeYeHi/assets/images/optimized/rev-aff0195/virginiatrialfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/all-partners-photo-300x163.webp)](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/more-than-a-law-firm-investing-in-the-communities-where-virginia-families-learn-grow-and-thrive/) ### [More Than a Law Firm: Investing in the Communities Where Virginia Families Learn, Grow, and Thrive](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/more-than-a-law-firm-investing-in-the-communities-where-virginia-families-learn-grow-and-thrive/) The Virginia Trial Firm July 20, 2026 [Read More »](https://virginiatrialfirm.com/blog/more-than-a-law-firm-investing-in-the-communities-where-virginia-families-learn-grow-and-thrive/) Get Started Right Away! 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