Cunningham, et al. (2002). The effects of alcohol on head injury in the motor vehicle crash victim.

[Wise Young]

Cunningham RM, Maio RF, Hill EM and Zink BJ (2002). The effects of alcohol on head injury in the motor vehicle crash victim. Alcohol Alcohol. 37 (3): 236-40. Summary: - The objective of this study was to determine if alcohol potentiates the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in motor vehicle crash (MVC) victims, controlling for crash severity characteristics. Prior studies evaluating effects of alcohol on TBI have not accounted for severity of crash. We evaluated severity of head injury by Marshall score [a classification scale of intracranial pathology on head computed axial tomogram (CT)], and blood-alcohol concentration (BAC), while controlling for crash characteristics [traffic accident deformity score (TAD) and belt use]. Marshall scores were determined from initial CT or autopsy reports, by a neurosurgeon, and were categorized into less severe injury (<3) and more severe [>/=3). Logistic regression using this variable as the outcome parameter and crash characteristics, age and BAC as predictors was done, and the odds ratio (OR) and 0.95 confidence interval (0.95 CI) calculated. Fifty-eight patients were analysed: 41% were BAC positive, 30% had a modified Marshall score of >/=3. Patients with positive BAC were 2.1-fold more likely to have a more severe head injury as measured on CT scan by the Marshall scores. We suggest that alcohol potentiates severity of TBI as determined from head CT among MVC victims. Further research will be needed to substantiate this finding as well as to determine its long-term effect on clinical outcome. University of Michigan Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, TC B134 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48109-0303, USA.

[Acid]

"patients with head injury. 41% had positive blood alcohol levels and were 2.1 times more likely to have severe head injury compared to those without elevated alcohol levels. [Note: this is a correlation only and does not necessarily imply a biological or other causation.

It may be that people with alcohol were involved in more severe accidents.]"

Nope, think that's not just it. Tried alcohol several weeks after the concussion on New Years Eve. Uargh! Just half a tiny whisky glass of Baileys was hell on my brain.
As far as I recall, I did not even drink it up.

Alc is a cell killer drug.

After getting one on the melon, the next hours can have to do with recovery aspects.

If straight resting and no outer disturbance, and sort of shunting own I towards stillness and not bugging other systems with activities in fixing,
that can be way better than going about with a maybe dizzy feeling head, talking, doing activities forcing freshly damaged sites to cooperated and disrupt healing there, maybe even causing additional damages.

As mentioned, alcohol is a cell killer drug, and can be in the way of healing processes.

I have no doubts alc can mess into healing.
(But I think it's also to do with how much.)