Brain Injuries Overview
Brain Injuries Resources
A brain injury occurs when damage to an individual's brain disrupts cognitive function. The brain may be injured by sudden trauma to the head or by any event that significantly reduces the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain. Brain injuries may cause minor symptoms such as dizziness, confusion or headache. More serious brain injuries may result in speech difficulties, amnesia, coma, paralysis or death.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury occurs when an external force causes the brain to move within the skull, or when the skull is broken and the brain is directly penetrated. Types of traumatic brain injuries include concussion, contusion, penetration injury and shaken baby syndrome. The leading causes of traumatic brain injury in the United States are falls, traffic accidents, acts of violence and sports injuries. Traumatic brain injuries may result in temporary or permanent cognitive, psychological or physical impairment. Recent improvements in emergency medical care and advancements in medicine have, however, dramatically increased the number of people surviving traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of traumatic brain injury may be reduced over time with intensive rehabilitation and treatment.
Acquired Brain Injury
An acquired brain injury is a spontaneous injury to the brain that is not caused by a blow or other type of trauma. Acquired brain injuries may be Anoxic or Hypoxic. Anoxic brain injuries result from a lack of oxygen supplied to the brain. Hypoxic brain injuries occur when the brain receives some oxygen, but not enough to operate properly. Inadequate oxygen to the brain reduces cellular function within the brain. As a result, acquired brain injuries affect an individual's entire brain. These types of injuries can be distinguished from traumatic brain injuries, which generally affect only portions of an individual's brain. Acquired brain injuries may be caused by a number of events, including choking, near-drowning, electrical shock or lightening strike, allergic reaction, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or illegal drug or alcohol abuse.
Levels of Brain Injury
Doctors generally assess the initial severity of brain injuries using the Glascow Coma Scale (GCS), which classifies brain injuries as mild, moderate or severe based on a patient's ability to exercise basic motor and verbal skills. Mild brain injuries, which constitute 70–85% of all brain injuries, occur when a person appears dazed, confused or loses consciousness for a brief period of time after incurring a head trauma. People who have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury recover, on average, within one year. Moderate traumatic brain injury occurs when an individual suffers from confusion for a period of days or weeks, loses consciousness for several minutes to several hours or experiences physical, cognitive or behavioral impairments. A brain injury is classified as severe when a person is unconscious or comatose for a period of days, weeks or months. The extent of recovery for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury is unique to each injury.
Rehabilitation
A brain injury can leave victims unable to care for themselves or their families, and may cause behavioral changes that disrupt personal relationships and careers. The goal of rehabilitation after a brain injury is to return the individual to their maximum level of functioning. Rehabilitation may occur on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Types of rehabilitation include speech therapy, pain management, drug therapies and training in accomplishing everyday tasks, such as caring for personal hygiene, preparing meals and managing basic finances.
Legal Implications
People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury may not be aware of their injury or the extent of their diminished brain functions. In such cases, their family members or friends may be the first ones to notice some memory loss, behavioral change or other symptom. At this stage, getting the brain injury victim into the care of a doctor should be the first priority. In addition, if the negligent, reckless, or intentional acts of another caused the brain injury, the family members or friends should help the brain injury victim seek legal assistance immediately. A brain injury lawyer will be able to assist the victim in preserving vital evidence and pursuing legal claims against potential defendants.