Studies show head injuries more serious than suspected

March 23, 2013

Studies show head injuries more serious than suspected

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.7 million people in the U.S. suffer traumatic brain injuries each year. Medical professionals classify TBI as an acquired form of brain damage where sudden trauma to the head causes damage to the brain. TBI can range from mild, such as when people get struck in the head and sustain a momentary loss of consciousness, to severe injuries where an object pierces the skull and penetrates brain tissue. Three studies published in March 2013 reveal that even mild brain injuries can cause more damage than doctors previously believed.

Brain injury studies

Several studies have examined the effects of TBI. A study published in the March 2013 issue of the journal Radiology found that even a mild TBI can have a lasting impact. Previous studies had already revealed that 10 to 20 percent of patients who experience mild TBI still have neurological and psychological symptoms over a year after the injury. Researchers for the study in Radiology found that patients also suffer a measureable loss of brain volume one year after sustaining a single concussion. The patients involved in the study had changes in memory, attention and anxiety in addition to the loss of brain volume.

Another study published on PLOS One, an online peer-reviewed journal, looked at 67 college football players to measure their physiological responses to head trauma they received during the football season. Researchers found that the more frequently the players got hit in the head -- even without suffering a concussion -- the higher the level of a protein that is released after TBI in the players' bloodstreams. Four of the players in the study also showed autoimmune responses associated with brain injury, even though none of the players involved in the study suffered a concussion during the season.

A third study conducted by researchers at Georgia Regents University used mice to observe a brain injury as it unfolded in the brain. They were seeking a better understanding of what happens to the structure of the brain immediately after TBI. Researchers discovered that even mild trauma to the brain can interrupt blood flow in the brain. If blood flow in the injured area is not restored to normal, synapses start to die rapidly. Researchers also found that if cells begin to depolarize, or lose their typical positive or negative charge that allows for transmission of signals across synapses, the damage from TBI increases dramatically.

Common causes of TBI

Some may think that athletes are the only ones at risk for TBI, but the threat of TBI is far more widespread. The CDC reports that the most common cause of TBI is falling, accounting for about 35 percent of TBI annually. The second leading cause of TBI is being involved in a motor vehicle accident, followed by "struck by/against" injuries and then assaults. While auto accidents are not the leading cause of TBI, motor vehicle accidents do cause the most fatal TBIs.

Talk to a lawyer

Suffering even mild brain trauma can have lasting detrimental effects, as these three studies demonstrate. Those who suffer TBI potentially face huge medical expenses, lost wages and lingering symptoms. If you have suffered TBI due to another's negligence, contact an experienced catastrophic injury attorney who can help you recover just and proper compensation.

Article provided by Law Offices of Lee Arter
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