Which mechanism is associated with rapid acceleration/deceleration injuries?

• A. Blast injuries
• B. Penetrating injuries
• C. Severe acceleration/deceleration
• D. Closed head injury

Answer: (C)

Rapid changes in velocity cause the brain to lag inside the skull, so inertial forces stretch and shear long white-matter pathways. This results in diffuse axonal injury, a hallmark of rapid acceleration/deceleration injuries, and often leads to immediate or prolonged unconsciousness with widespread but subtle damage rather than a single focal lesion.

Blast injuries come from the pressure wave and fragments of an explosion; penetrating injuries involve objects entering the skull, creating focal damage; and a closed head injury simply means the skull remains intact but can still involve various injury mechanisms, not specifically the rapid acceleration/deceleration process.