Study Finds Brain Injury Leads to PTSD, Anxiety Disorders

March 22, 2012

Study Finds Brain Injury Leads to PTSD, Anxiety Disorders

A study from the University of California, Los Angeles has revealed that even mild brain trauma may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. The study revealed that rats (whose DNA is 98 percent the same as humans) showed more susceptibility to fear stimuli after experiencing traumatic brain injury, commonly known as TBI.

The researchers believe knowledge of a causal link between head injury and PTSD could eventually help veterans who have experienced TBI in combat.

The area of the brain affected in the study was the amygdala, part of the temporal lobe, which controls fear and other emotions related to survival. Rats that experienced TBI tended to show increased activity in this area of the brain, researchers noted. The reason for the increased neural activity in the amygdala and the corresponding increase to fear was unclear, but could be linked in a "mechanistic way," one researcher told the online journal Psych Central.

TBI occurs when the brain violently shoves through the protective cerebrospinal fluid and impacts with the skull, or when an object penetrates the brain tissue. According to the Franklin Institute, nearly half of all TBI injuries occur in car accidents, with 25 percent resulting from falls. Sports injuries also account for a significant number of TBIs.

Many people remember a time when concussions were shrugged off as "seeing stars" and subsequently forgotten. Unfortunately, research is showing that TBI is a serious injury with long-lasting repercussions. The damage caused by a TBI is not always immediately apparent, but has been associated with several mental conditions such as an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and clinical depression. New studies such as the one conducted by UCLA are reinforcing the danger of even a mild TBI.

Immediate symptoms of a TBI include headache, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and fatigue. Symptoms do not have to be immediately severe in order to have long-lasting or permanent injury.

If you or a loved one has experienced a TBI, you may wish to contact a personal injury lawyer familiar with TBI cases to discuss options for financial compensation to help with the medical costs of the injury.

Article provided by Kevin P. Broderick
Visit us at http://www.kevinbrodericklaw.com/