Concussion: A Comprehensive Review of Current Evidence

Concussion is a common form of mild traumatic brain injury affecting nearly two million people yearly, costing the US nearly 19 billion dollars annually. In light of such significant prevalence and disease burden, tools and interventions aimed at improving diagnosis, recovery, and management are constantly evolving. This narrative review synthesizes literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2015-2025), prioritizing systematic reviews, randomized trials, and consensus guidelines with the goal of summarizing current best-practices based on up-to-date data and expert opinion.

Concussion remains a clinical diagnosis supported by tools such as the SCAT6, though limitations persist. Biomarkers demonstrate high sensitivity for intracranial injury, but limited utility for diagnosing uncomplicated concussion. Recovery is heterogeneous, influenced by initial symptom burden, patient factors, and mechanism of injury. Management has shifted toward early, symptom-guided activity and targeted, multimodal rehabilitation. Persistent symptoms reflect multifactorial etiologies that require individualized care. Concussion care is transitioning toward more objective assessment and personalized management, though gaps remain in diagnostic precision and in predicting prolonged recovery.