Traumatic Brain Injury - Articles - Zimbio

Concussion or Headache?

Mon, 7 Oct 2008 14:31:36 GMT

posted by benadkins

I was watching the Saints and Vikings on Monday Night Football last night and saw several brutal hits. There were several times in the game where I just knew the guy that got hit had a concussion. The scary thing is, a lot of the time, it can be hard for people to distinguish concussion symptoms from a routine headache.

I found this interesting article in Men’s Health this morning and wanted to share it with you all.

Protect Your Noggin
by Erin Hicks of Men’s Health

It’s no lie that football players take hard hits to the noggin—but you don’t have to be a pro athlete to get clocked in the head.

Morton Hyson, M.D., a neurologist in Las Vegas, says more than 2 million patients with head injuries are seen in the ER in America every year. That means a head injury occurs every 7 seconds and a death every 5 minutes.

Snowboarding, skiing, football, hockey, and skateboarding can all lead to a concussion, but only 25 percent of head injuries are sports-related. The remaining 75 percent are caused by car accidents, work-related accidents, or falling, Hyson says.

Your brain has the consistency of Jell-O, and a jar to the head could cause a headache, blurred vision, nausea, and dizziness. These symptoms shouldn’t last more than 7 to 10 days. More serious concussions and repeated blows to the head could lead to a potentially fatal brain hemorrhage, long-term memory loss, depression, or Parkinson’s disease.

“People don’t realize they can be serious. If the problems don’t go away, it can alter your life,” says Barry Willer, Ph.D, psychologist and professor at the University of Buffalo who studies post-concussion syndrome—the term coined for the lingering effects of concussions. “It’s mysterious,” Willer says of the syndrome estimated to affect 5 percent of all concussion cases. “People don’t feel like themselves; they feel misunderstood. They don’t believe their symptoms are linked to their injury months ago.”

Men are 3 to 4 times more likely than women to get a concussion, so if you sustain a blow to the head, check the clock: A headache or dizziness in the first 15 minutes is normal. If either develops 2 or more hours later, there may be bleeding in your brain. But refrain from popping pain meds right away so you can tell if the pain’s getting worse.

“In a typical concussion, you’ll get a headache. It will last 24 hours, but shouldn’t get worse,” Willer says. “We recommend you don’t take Tylenol because you don’t want to mask the most important symptom.”

If symptoms worsen in a 24-hour window, go to the ER, where doctors can give you a CT scan or an MRI to look for brain hemorrhages, which require immediate surgery. If bleeding or swelling is not detected, you’ll be sent home with a prescription of bed rest and minimal physical activity. Go easy on your workout routine for a few weeks and slowly ease back into it before hitting the field or office again.

And always be sure to wear protective gear on your head when playing sports and buckle up in the car. Whether or not you think it’s dorky, it’s better to wear them than to end up at the hospital in pain.

Make Sure you jump over to Men’s Health and check the original article, as well as the other great article’s written by Erin Hicks.

When it concerns your head, “Always be on the side of caution”.

It’s better to go see a Doctor and nothing be wrong, then to not go, and Something Be Really Wrong.

I’ve been close to having a concussion a few times. It’s an odd feeling. Any good concussion/near concussion stories?

Dr. Ben

Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

Sun, 14 Jul 2008 17:37:13 GMT

posted by brainblogger

A lady (let’s call her Carla) is driving down a street — it’s 10:00 pm on a Friday night. She thinks about her kids in bed, makes a mental note to check in on them before she goes to bed. She wonders what her boss has in store for her at the 8:00 a.m. meeting that was scheduled a week ago. Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light; a deafening crash, and her world goes black. Sound like a scene from a movie? I wish it were. According to the CDC, 1.4 million people in the USA sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually; 20% of these are caused by motor vehicle accidents (MVA). Fifty thousand of these traumatic brain injuries result in death each year. Carla might never be able to communicate with her children meaningfully. She certainly will not be able to get back to her work any time soon (if ever). Her social network will be disrupted; her schedule will be a series of medical appointments and consultations.

Unlike a fracture or an elective surgery, the ordeal does not end after the medical procedures are through. When a person sustains a TBI — in most cases families face some of their toughest challenges after the immediate palliative procedures are complete. The patient goes through acute care, an inpatient rehabilitation program, and then may be discharged to their home. In some cases, if they are medically unstable they are required to stay at post-acute settings and also receive outpatient rehabilitation. Some states in the USA also offer long-term care centers for those patients who might never be able to function safely and independently in their homes. These centers usually become permanent “homes” for these patients. Caregivers are often torn between running their homes and visiting their loved one; living their own life and accompanying their loved one to various medical appointments.

The residual physical impairments are only one aspect of the injury. Patients with TBI are prone to emotional disturbances, outbursts and attacks of a myriad of emotions ranging from depression to frustration to extreme rage. Anson and Ponsford studied 33 individuals with brain injury, and found that 51% of them had clinical levels of depression and anxiety (based on their scores on various scales that were administered. They also elaborated upon two styles of coping — non-productive coping (avoidance, self-blame, resorting to drug and alcohol use, etc) and adaptive coping (accepting the problem, and taking proactive steps, incorporating humor and enjoyable activities, etc). The results of their research study suggested that there was a statistically significant correlation between the type of coping mechanism used and ability to overcome the emotional problems.

As a physical therapist, I have spent more than 10 hours a week with one patient and their families. This intense, one-on-one time gave me a glimpse into their current lives and a hint of how things were before this terrible episode dictated every aspect of their lives. I worked with moms who did not recognize their children, with professors who had completely lost the function of speech and teenage boys who would spend all of their adult lives confined to a wheelchair. I saw families attend session after session, hoping to find a fragment of the person they once knew and loved.

For families, living with someone they don’t recognize any more, being pushed suddenly into the role of a caregiver, and dealing with all the emotional ups and downs of the patient takes a physical and emotional toll. A recent literature review study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing indicated that a family member’s cognitive, behavioral and psychological impairments of are greater stressors to the family than their physical disabilities after a TBI. The same study also suggested that partners of people with a TBI scored higher on stress indicator scales than parents; for the most part, women appeared to be more stressed than men.

For most people who have not been through these experiences, this information may be unfamiliar, and difficult to relate to. But the only way that people with TBI may be reintegrated into the community is increasing awareness about this complex disease. Understanding the intricate complexities in the lives of people living with brain injury will hopefully will make us more accepting of people. We can then do our part to assist patients reintegrate smoothly into the community. TBI is a disease that can be prevented by increasing awareness in the community and education with safety tips. The National Institute of Health and the Brain Injury Association are excellent resources for the entire spectrum of Brain Injury.

References

Verhaeghe, S., Defloor, T., Grypdonck, M. (2005). Stress and coping among families of patients with traumatic brain injury: a review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14(8), 1004-1012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2005.01126.x

Godfrey, H.P., Knight, R.G., Partridge, F.M. (1996). Emotional Adjustment Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Stress- Appraisal-Coping Formulation. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 11(6), 29-40. DOI: 10.1097/00001199-199612000-00006

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Related Articles at Brain Blogger:

Concussion or Headache?

Mon, 7 Oct 2008 14:31:36 GMT

posted by benadkins

I found this interesting article in Men’s Health this morning and wanted to share it with you all.

Protect Your Noggin
by Erin Hicks of Men’s Health

It’s no lie that football players take hard hits to the noggin—but you don’t have to be a pro athlete to get clocked in the head.

Make Sure you jump over to Men’s Health and check the original article, as well as the other great article’s written by Erin Hicks.

When it concerns your head, “Always be on the side of caution”.

It’s better to go see a Doctor and nothing be wrong, then to not go, and Something Be Really Wrong.

I’ve been close to having a concussion a few times. It’s an odd feeling. Any good concussion/near concussion stories?

Dr. Ben

June Is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Mon, 24 Jun 2008 01:57:00 GMT

posted by barbarany_9
Brain Injury can change your life

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is caused by traumatic and non-traumatic events that injure the brain.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the result of a blow to the head or spinning forces on the brain. Common causes include motor vehicle crashes, falls or assaults.

Non-traumatic brain injury is caused by illness such as meningitis and encephalitis; anoxic events - whereby oxygen flow to the brain is disrupted as in strokes, aneurysms or during cardiac arrest and near-drowning. The brain can also be damaged from tumors, hydrocephalus and substance abuse.

Every year in Canada, over 11,000 people die as a result of a Traumatic Brain Injury. Over 4,000 will die in Ontario alone.

The leading causes of TBI are falls, motor vehicle crashes, bicycle crashes, and sports related injuries.

TBI is the leading cause of death and disability among children.

It is estimated that the direct and indirect costs associated with Traumatic Brain Injury are $3 billion annually in Canada ($1 billion in Ontario).

Brain Injury can vary from mild(concussion) to severe (deep coma). Depending on the severity of the injury, some may recover after a period of rest. Others will require a lifetime of support. Annually, over 6,000 Canadians become permanently disabled after a traumatic brain injury.

Finally, the severity of a brain injury is often only measured by the depth and duration of coma. It is important to remember that even a seemingly minor injury can result in major changes in a person's life.

MORE ON BRAIN INJURY

Brain injury is unpredictable in its consequences. Brain injury affects who we are, the way we think, act, and feel. It can change everything about us in a matter of seconds. The most important things to remember:

A person with a brain injury is a person first

No two brain injuries are exactly the same

The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person

The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location, and severity

A healthy brain
To understand what happens when the brain is injured, it is important to realize what a healthy brain is made of and what it does. The brain is enclosed inside the skull. The skull acts as a protective covering for the soft brain. The brain is made of neurons (nerve cells). The neurons form tracts that route throughout the brain. These nerve tracts carry messages to various parts of the brain. The brain uses these messages to perform functions. The functions include our coordinating our body’s systems, such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism; thought processing; body movements; personality; behavior; and the senses, such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Each part of the brain serves a specific function and links with other parts of the brain to form more complex functions.

An injured brain
When a brain injury occurs, the functions of the neurons, nerve tracts, or sections of the brain can be affected. If the neurons and nerve tracts are affected, they can be unable or have difficulty carrying the messages that tell the brain what to do. This can change the way a person thinks, acts, feels, and moves the body. Brain injury can also change the complex internal functions of the body, such as regulating body temperature; blood pressure; bowel and bladder control. These changes can be temporary or permanent. They may cause impairment or a complete inability to perform a function.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury occurs when an outside force impacts the head hard enough to cause the brain to move within the skull or if the force causes the skull to break and directly hurts the brain.

A direct blow to the head can be great enough to injure the brain inside the skull. A direct force to the head can also break the skull and directly hurt the brain. This type of injury can occur from motor vehicle crashes, firearms, falls, sports, and physical violence, such as hitting or striking with an object.

A rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head can force the brain to move back and forth across the inside of the skull. The stress from the rapid movements pulls apart nerve fibers and causes damage to brain tissue. This type of injury often occurs as a result of motor vehicle crashes and physical violence, such as Shaken Baby Syndrome. (the owner of this blog lost her father to traumatic brain injury from a car accident)

Definition: Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature but caused by an external physical force, that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning. These impairments may be either temporary or permanent and cause partial or total functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment.

Symptoms
A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an emergency.

After an impact to the head, a person with a brain injury can experience a variety of symptoms but not necessarily all of the following symptoms. This information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or examination. A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an emergency. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include can include, but are not limited to:

Spinal fluid (thin water-looking liquid) coming out of the ears or nose

Loss of consciousness; however, loss of consciousness may not occur in some concussion cases

Dilated (the black center of the eye is large and does not get smaller in light)or unequal size of pupils

Vision changes (blurred vision or seeing double, not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye movement, blindness)

Dizziness, balance problems

Respiratory failure (not breathing)

Coma (not alert and unable to respond to others) or semicomatose state

Paralysis, difficulty moving body parts, weakness, poor coordination

Slow pulse

Slow breathing rate, with an increase in blood pressure

Vomiting

Lethargy (sluggish, sleepy, gets tired easily)

Headache

Confusion

Ringing in the ears, or changes in ability to hear

Difficulty with thinking skills (difficulty “thinking straight”, memory problems, poor judgment, poor attention span, a slowed thought processing speed)

Inappropriate emotional responses (irritability, easily frustrated, inappropriate crying or laughing)

Difficulty speaking, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing

Body numbness or tingling

Loss of bowel control or bladder control

A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an emergency.

Causes of Acquired Brain Injury
Acquired brain injury takes place at the cellular level within the brain. Therefore, injury from acquired brain injury can effect cells throughout the entire brain, instead of just in specific areas as with traumatic brain injury.

An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain, which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that has occurred after birth.

Causes of acquired brain injury can include, but are not limited to:

Airway obstruction

Near-drowning, throat swelling, choking, strangulation, crush injuries to the chest

Electrical shock or lightening strike

Trauma to the head and/or neck

Traumatic brain injury with or without skull fracture, blood loss from open wounds, artery impingement from forceful impact, shock

Vascular Disruption

Heart attack, stroke, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), aneurysm, intracranial surgery

Infectious disease, intracranial tumors, metabolic disorders

Meningitis, certain venereal diseases, AIDS, insect-carried diseases, brain tumors, hypo/hyperglycemia, hepatic encephalopathy, uremic encephalopathy, seizure disorders

Toxic exposure- poisonous chemicals and gases, such as carbon monoxide poisoning (the owner of this blog has this type of brain injury due to toxic exposure)

Definition: Acquired Brain Injury

An acquired brain injury commonly results in a change in neuronal activity, which effects the physical integrity, the metabolic activity, or the functional ability of the cell. An acquired brain injury may result in mild, moderate, or severe impairments in one or more areas, including cognition, speech-language communication; memory; attention and concentration; reasoning; abstract thinking; physical functions; psychosocial behavior; and information processing.

Symptoms of Acquired Brain Injury
Most symptoms of acquired brain injuries are very similar to that of traumatic brain injuries; however, there are some difficulties that are experienced more frequently or to a greater degree by persons with acquired brain injuries. This information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or examination. A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an emergency. Symptoms can include:

Cognitive impairment- Thinking skills, especially memory

Longer lengths of time spent in a vegetative state

Severe behavior problems- Psychosis, depression, restlessness, combativeness, hostility

Muscle movement disorders

For More Information CLICK HERE

Wisconsin Brain Injury Association Seeking Grant Reviewers

Sun, 27 Oct 2008 20:11:00 GMT

posted by gjohns
10/27/08 From the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin (BIAW):

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is looking for new
and experienced objective grant reviewers with expertise in traumatic brain
injury. HRSA is looking specifically for individuals with specialized
education, knowledge, and experience in the area of traumatic brain injury
to apply to be a HRSA Grant Reviewer for its Maternal and Child Health
Bureau. Individuals with TBI and family members are especially needed.

As a Grant Reviewer you will assist HRSA in objectively evaluating
applications against established criteria. These competitive applications
are being submitted by State TBI Programs around the country. If you are
interested in being a Grant Reviewer, please send a note expressing your
interest along with a CV (curriculum vitae) to:

Captain Janie Martin-Heppel
Director, Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Program
DHHS/HRSA/Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Room 18-A-18, the Parklawn Building
301-443-2259; fax: 301-443-8604
jmartin-heppel@hrsa.gov

An email note with the required information is also acceptable. If you do
not have a CV, a paragraph or two about your qualifications will suffice.
For example, if you are a family member or caregiver and you don’t have a
CV, you could start with: "I have been a caregiver for my son who has a
TBI for the past five years..."

Questions should be directed to Captain Janie Martin-Heppel.

Thank you,
Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin