acceleration–deceleration injury
a form of head injury caused by the head suddenly being placed into motion or abruptly stopped, as, for example, when the individual is in a car accident. The sudden motion or stop causes diffuse stretching of white matter tracts in addition to bleeding and other neurological effects (e.g., biochemical cascades that eventually lead to axonal injury). The injury may have a variety of consequences, including personality change, attention problems, memory disorders, and executive dysfunction.