What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also called acquired brain injury or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Is there any treatment?
Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury. Primary concerns include insuring proper oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body, maintaining adequate blood flow, and controlling blood pressure. Imaging tests help in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of a TBI patient. Patients with mild to moderate injuries may receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. For moderate to severe cases, the imaging test is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.

What is the prognosis?
Approximately half of severely head-injured patients will need surgery to remove or repair hematomas (ruptured blood vessels) or contusions (bruised brain tissue). Disabilities resulting from a TBI depend upon the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, and the age and general health of the individual. Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month.

What are the circumstances that create these injuries?

Motor vehicle, boating, bicycling, or ATV accidents, falls and medical errors can all cause traumatic brain injuries. With roadway accidents, there may be fault on the part of one of the drivers, or there is also the possibility that the roadway was negligently designed or maintained.  With falls, people may fall from ladders, into swimming pools in diving accidents, or the fall may involve a complex crash, such as a rock climbing or hiking accident.  Many brain injuries from these types of accidents are the result of poor design or faulty construction by a manufacturer. The manufacturer may be legally responsible for brain injuries suffered by the consumer. In some case, medical mistakes may lead to brain injury.  Such things would include improper administration of anesthesia during surgery or a delay in diagnosis and treatment of stroke or brain tumor.

Brain Injury Links
www.biausa.org
The Brain Injury Association, Inc., is dedicated to creating a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education and advocacy. Their web site consists of: a Help Index, Links to the National & State Offices, Donation Info, Defense and Veterans Head Injury Program Link, Info on the High Cost of Brain Injury, Prevention, Treatment/Rehab, Conferences, Living Life!, Kids Corner, Books/Tapes/Video, and a National Directory.

www.tbi-sci.org/
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Spinal Cord Injury Projects are federally funded "Model Systems of Care" located at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for individuals who have had brain or spinal cord injuries. Besides providing inpatient rehab, they also coordinate community programs, conduct research, and provide resources. Tap into each project, resource info, the SCI Ring, Local Activities, Project News, or Links from their site.

www.tbiguide.com/
Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide by Dr. Glen Johnson – an online clear and easy to understand book aimed at better preparing the head injured person and family for the long road ahead.