The NERD model: reflex circuit dysfunction as a systems-level driver of persistent post-concussion symptoms

PMID: 41676131

Persistent post-concussive symptoms are often attributed to diffuse cortical dysfunction, yet this perspective may overlook key systems-level mechanisms. We propose a conceptual framework in which dysfunction arises from the dynamic interplay among five functional nodes: the sensory interface, reflex-brain stem hub, cerebellar module, basal ganglia-thalamic modulator, and cerebral cortex. Grounded in clinical observation and systems-level dynamic modeling, this framework treats the brain as a…