TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES by Taimur Qazi

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES

Traumatic brain injury is very different than other injuries, as the brain is not able to recover like other parts of the body. Also referred to as TBI, traumatic brain injury changes the injured person's life permanently, as their mental acuity, body functions, physical control, and personality each may be affected. The TBI symptoms may fully appear immediately following the injury or may take weeks to become known. Every traumatic brain injury is different. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of such an injury is that the injured person may not even realize an accident or the TBI has occurred.
At highest risk for traumatic brain injury are young adults and the elderly, and the most frequent attributors are automobile accidents, firearm injuries, and falls. Firearm injuries are particularly deadly when the brain is affected. The most frequent causes of brain injury are:
* Open head injury - Often resulting from bullet wounds and other foreign object penetration, this type presents largely focal damage with penetration of the skull. Open head injuries can be just as serious as a closed head injury.
* Closed head injury - Generally caused by blunt force such as part of a slip and fall or auto accident, these injuries present focal damage with broad effects caused by diffusion of the trauma to the axons - part of nerve cells - of the brain. There is no skull penetration.
* Deceleration injury - Also known as diffuse axonal injury, a deceleration injury is caused by a sudden stop from a high speed, such as during a car crash or other situation in which the body is jolted to a stop. In these accidents, the body ceases movement but the brain continues to move within the skull until it stops, causing direct brain injury due to axon damage, contusions, and the resulting brain swelling. Axon damage is the result of the axons being compressed and stretched in the jostling about of the brain, during which the axons can be stretched until they are torn. That tearing is known as axonal shearing and results in death of the neurons.
* Chemical or toxic injury - Occurring when harmful chemicals damage neurons, these metabolic disorders damage the brain from sources such as insecticides, solvents, carbon monoxide, lead, and other poisons.
* Hypoxia or anoxia - When the blood does not carry enough oxygen to the brain, permanent brain damage can occur. Results of hypoxia or anoxia occur swiftly, within only a few minutes, as the result of heart attack, respiratory failure, blood pressure drop, or a low oxygen environment. Sever cognitive and memory deficits are possible outcomes.
* Tumors - Cancerous tumors sometimes grow on or over the brain, causing injury through direct cellular damage or due to the increased pressure produced by a large mass in the skull's limited space. During surgery to correct such a tumor, additional injury may occur.
* Infections - If infections reach the brain, they can be particularly detrimental.
* Stroke - Stroke often results in deprivation of blood to the brain, causing cell death. This type of injury can also cause bleeding within or over the brain, resulting in permanent damage.
Injury resulting from TBI is classified as either mild or severe. Mild injury may cause cognitive problems such as headaches, difficulty thinking, attention deficits, memory problems, mood swings and frustration. Severe TBI impairs higher level cognitive functioning, might cause coma, and often results in limited functioning of limbs, abnormal speech, loss of mental ability, and emotional problems. The affects of a severe TBI can vary widely according to each individual's injury.