For decades, patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms have been told that their imaging is normal, their brain has healed, and there is nothing more that can be done. But what if we've been asking the wrong questions?

In this episode of Life After Impact, Dr. Ayla Wolf sits down with functional neurologist Dr. Matt Antonucci to discuss his groundbreaking new paper published in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, introducing the Network Entrapment by Reflex Dysfunction (NERD) Model. Together, they explore a new framework for understanding why concussion symptoms can persist long after the initial injury has healed. 

Dr. Antonucci explains how the brain functions as an interconnected network rather than a collection of isolated structures, and how disrupted sensory processing, maladaptive feedback loops, and altered neuroplasticity can cause symptoms to spiral over time. The conversation dives into predictive processing, cerebellar function, autonomic regulation, postural instability, chronic headaches, neck pain, light sensitivity, dysautonomia, and why many patients feel trapped in patterns that conventional medicine struggles to explain. 

Topics discussed include:

•  The difference between structural neurology and functional neurology 
•  Why normal MRI and CT scans don't mean the brain is functioning normally 
•  The NERD model and persistent post-concussion syndrome 
•  How the brain becomes trapped in maladaptive feedback loops 
•  Predictive processing and the role of the cerebellum 
•  Why symptoms often worsen under cognitive, physical, or sensory load 
•  Neuroplasticity: when adaptation helps and when it hurts 
•  Dysautonomia, POTS, headaches, neck pain, and sensory sensitivity 
•  The importance of identifying the true source of dysfunction 
•  How this model may apply beyond concussion to conditions such as ADHD, autism, migraine, and chronic neurological disorders 

Whether you're a patient struggling to understand persistent symptoms or a clinician seeking a deeper framework for neurological rehabilitation, this episode offers a fascinating look into what may become one of the most influential models in functional neurology. 

If you’re a patient feeling stuck, or a clinician looking for a clearer concussion recovery model, this is a practical, hopeful listen. Subscribe, share with someone navigating post-concussion symptoms, and leave a review. What “load” situation reliably sets off your symptoms?

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

Dr. Antonucci's Website

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