Male Anterior Coup – Contrecoup Injury with Axon Shearing – No Text

SKU: S02082

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This exhibit shows the mechanism of a coup – contrecoup brain injury and the effects of a diffuse traumatic brain injury on a brain cell. The force of an impact causes the head to suddenly hyperextend right, while the brain shifts to the left and strikes the skull interior (coup injury). The head then recoils to the left and stops sharply, causing the brain to shift right and strike the opposite skull interior (contrecoup injury). Diffuse axonal injuries also occur as a result of acceleration forces on the brain. Differing densities between the grey matter (neurons) and white matter (axons) causes them to shift at varying speeds, shearing the axons at the grey-white matter junction.