Cognitive symptoms? Don’t assume it’s the brain. Beekmans et al. (2017) showed concussion patients score the same as whiplash patients on cognitive testing—despite no direct brain injury. That means brain fog, slow processing, or word-finding issues don’t always equal cortical damage. They can stem from: - Cervical dysfunction - Visual/vestibular mismatch - Pain or poor sleep - Autonomic stress - Emotional load Takeaway: Cognitive symptoms ≠ cognitive impairment. Treat the whole system—not just