Whiplash, Real or Not Real? A Review and New Concept

Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) describes a heterogeneous group of symptoms, which develops frequently after an unexpected rear-end car collision. In some of these patients, the symptoms persist for years. There is an ongoing scientific debate about the existence of tissue injury to support this disorder, due to the lack of findings with current diagnostic techniques and the prevalence of emotional traits as risk factors. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) overview the scientific data regarding the presence of an injury mechanism as a consequence of the whiplash trauma, (2) remark the unexpectedness of the accident as essential, and (3) present a new concept according to which WAD symptoms are the result of a mismatch between aberrant information from the cervical spinal cord and the information from the vestibular and visual systems, all of which are integrated in the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray and adjoining regions.