Articles Posted in Brain Injury

When someone experiences an injury, it can be temporary or permanent. Many types of injuries are immediately noticed and medical care is provided. One of the more difficult types of injuries to diagnose and cure is a brain injury. It may happen during a car accident, work accident or during a fall or athletic event. Brain injuries can come in many forms and in many severities. They can lead to memory loss, nausea, headaches, dizziness and sensory problems, among others.

A recent story out of Syracuse University highlights yet another incident of a brain injury causing devastating symptoms. The brain injury victim, a student at the university, has filed a lawsuit after he suffered a brain injury as part of a boxing session.

The student said he joined the boxing club during his senior year so he could exercise. During an exercise drill last year, the instructor repeatedly and unexpectedly punched him in the head. The student did not have any protective gear to cover his head. The drill was supposed to be a non-contact drill, reportedly. During the exercise, the coach, who has been named in the lawsuit, did nothing to stop the incident.

The summertime is naturally a time for increased activity for kids. Whether they are playing on the playground, on jungle gyms or during dance or gymnastics classes, the potential for kids to fall and injure themselves cannot be underestimated. For those kids that suffer head injuries, it is important to take all the precautions necessary to protect them.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends calling a child’s pediatrician for injuries greater than a bump on the head, this post will focus on the symptoms parents and caregivers should watch out for. 

Physical clues – The most common indicators of a concussion include outward physical clues, including loss of consciousness, appearing dazed, complaining that he or she is seeing stars, and prolonged headaches.

Indeed, there are more than 90 days before the first National Football League games will be played in September, but it is not too early to discuss the dangers of concussions in sports. After all, the concussion protocol was discussed during the NBA playoffs after Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors was inadvertently kneed in the head during the conference finals. Also, it was rumored that LeBron James may have suffered one after he hit his head on a camera.

Yes, many parents in our region will not have kids playing professional sports. But they will be playing on playgrounds and in youth sports leagues and they will invariably have head injuries that that will send them to the hospital. In fact, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than two million Americans will be hospitalized after suffering traumatic brain injuries (i.e. concussions). 

For injuries that result in lawsuits, it is important to properly diagnose a concussion and maintain detailed information about continuing concussion symptoms. After all, not all concussions are the same and not every head injury manifests itself in the same manner.

In a number of our posts, we have noted that not all brain injuries are the same and that different treatments may be necessary depending on the injury. Through this post, we will briefly explain why that is.

Essentially, the brain is made up of neurons that form nerve tracts that carry messages from certain parts of the brain to the body. These messages help in carrying out a number of bodily functions, including, but not limited to, body movements, balance, personality, memory and heart rate. For all of these functions to work in concert, the brain has to be fully functional. If a part of the brain is injured, one or a few functions may not work properly. 

Additionally, the brain is divided into several sections, called lobes. Each lobe is responsible for carrying messages to regulate a particular body function. For instance, the frontal lobe carries messages regulating attention, concentration, awareness, inhibition and emotions. Similarly, the parietal lobe manages sense of touch, differentiation of colors, vision and depth perception. Further, the cerebellum lobe controls, balance and motor skills.

In a number of our posts we have highlighted how different brain injuries must be diagnosed and treated differently. Essentially, physicians attempt to treat an injury based on physical, mental and emotional symptoms. Despite the universal treatment methods, people may recover differently from their injuries.

Take a football player for example. He may have suffered a concussion during a game and may be ready to come back by the next game. Another player who suffers a similar injury may not be able to play for a few months. Why would there be such a difference in how the two players recover? According to a University of Illinois study, the answer may reside in a single gene. 

Essentially, researchers studied the reaction of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and found that it could play a significant part in the formation of new neurons in the brain, which helps in the recovery from traumatic brain injuries. A BDNF gene has two polymorphisms in it. The researchers found that if a person has a particular combination of polymorphisms, it would signal that a person would be more sensitive to brain injuries compared to another person who has a different polymorphic combination.

As we have noted in prior posts, different brain injuries require different types of treatments. Depending on the severity of the injury, the treatment could be as basic as monitoring the patient to make sure nothing out of the ordinary occurs during the healing process, or it could be as detailed as scheduling surgery and then organizing a plan of recovery.

Either way, patients want to know what their prognosis is, what they need to do in order to follow it. Nevertheless, the recovery plan for a traumatic brain injury may differ depending on the person and the nature of the injury.  Physicians commonly use several indicators to determine how the recovery process will go. This post will highlight some of them. 

Duration of a coma (if any) – Generally speaking, the shorter the coma (especially if it is medically induced) the better the chances are of recovery.

With a number of our posts, we describe how brain injuries can occur and how they can be prevented. In car accidents, airbags can keep people from head trauma that can occur by hitting a dashboard, steering wheel, or even a window. With sports, new equipment can disburse the impact of a blow to the head, and updated concussion protocols can reduce the chances of a player being severely injured after suffering a concussion. Also, hours of service rules can reduce the likelihood of a crash caused by a drowsy trucker.

While these things can be beneficial in preventing brain injuries, they still occur. And when they do, we have to remember that a human being still needs to be cared for, even if he or she cannot function they way that they once used to. Moreover, research still needs to be done so that those who suffer from severe brain injuries can find ways to heal and regain some of the life that was taken from them. 

These are a few of the goals of the Brain Injury Association of America. Through continued advocacy and awareness, the group hopes to give those who are disabled through brain injuries a voice in policy decisions and hope for those who cannot help themselves.

On our blog we have discussed the many ways that people can suffer brain injuries; especially in the context of auto accidents, sports injuries, and arguably the most common way…falls. We have noted how important it is for physicians and medical personnel to make quick, yet educated, decisions about how to treat a brain injury.

However, knowing that you may have a brain injury is only half of the inquiry. Knowing what type of brain injury is just as important, because it may help in treating it and recovery times. With that, this post will focus on different types of brain injuries.

Concussions – This is likely the most common injury, and probably the most notorious given the news that has been generated over concussions in football. Concussions are caused by direct trauma to the head, either by being hit or punched, or by falling.

Brain injuries are arguably the most serious and life altering injuries a person can suffer. Because the brain controls so many functions (physically and emotionally) and is not tested as often as other parts of the body, researchers are only scratching the surface with understanding how the brain works and who it may heal over time.

With that said, this post will highlight some of the common issues and milestones that brain injury victims may encounter.

Cognitive experiences and problems – Because swelling, bleeding and tissue damage, the brain may not function as it did before. This may lead to inconsistent brain functions, which may lead to different states of consciousness. A person may be in a coma or a minimally conscious state.