microscopic lesions in the brain caused when the movement of the brain within the skull puts strain on delicate nerve fibers and blood vessels causing them to stretch to the point of breaking.

A tearing or stretching of nerves or brain tissue that result from the brain twisting and hitting against the skull.  Usually caused by sudden deceleration or stop like that involved in a car accident or shaken baby syndrome.

The mechanism by which nerve fibres are damaged or destroyed in blunt head injury, leading to the tearing of the main processes (axons) of the nerve fibres in a widespread, patchy fashion. Hence the description "DIFFUSE AXONAL INJURY" (qv).

The tearing or rending of different tissue planes (of the brain) resulting from rotational acceleration and consequent tearing of nerve cell tracts.

damage to individual neurons resulting in disruption of neural networks and the breakdown of overall communication among neurons in the brain.