Mild Brain Injury Research Paper

Medical and technological advances have led to greater survival rates in individuals suffering from various illness and injury throughout history. This includes individuals who suffer traumatic and nontraumatic brain injuries. Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States sustain a brain injury each year with the survival rate of over 90 percent making brain injury the leading cause for disability in the United States. (Mysiw, Bogner, Corrigan, Fugate, Clinchot, & Kadyan 2006). Cognitive, physical, sensory and behavioral changes are widely noted in individuals in the months and years following a brain injury. However, the psychosocial, psychological and emotional effects of these injuries are less discussed and therefore these aspects can be overlooked when anticipating a course of treatment. Individuals who sustain acquired brain injuries experience significant, lasting impairment in the psychosocial, psychological and emotional aspects of their lives and better understanding of these issues can lead to better treatment and coping skills for these individuals.

Concussions can seriously alter one’s life. Concussions are the result of moderate to severe impact to the head with another object. These impacts shake the brain, which is suspended in cerebral fluid, and cause it to scrape against the skull. Concussions can have mild to severe symptoms including insomnia, an inability to concentrate and headaches. Symptoms manifest both physically and mentally and may appear days after the initial trauma, with the possibility of lasting for months. Concussions are extremely prominent in contact sports such as football and hockey at all ages of play, professional to amateur. Multiple concussions may be accompanied by CTE, a neurodegenerative disease associated with

A concussion is “a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration of brain function, including alteration of mental status and level of consciousness, resulting from mechanical force or trauma” (American Association of Neurological Surgeons). Concussions are commonly seen in sports injuries in children and adolescents, but can also occur from falls, motor vehicle accidents, physical assault, and recreational injuries. In a concussion, a blow to the head or violent shaking causes the brain to twist or bump up against the skull. The force of the brain hitting the skull may tear blood vessels, pull, squeeze, stretch, or tear nerve fibers and neural cells, and bruise the brain (Brain Injury Association). This causes disruptions in brain processing and in turn all the symptoms associated with

In the last few years emerged the awareness of mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) injuries among young athletes and young military personnel 18 to 21 years of age. The research shows that multiple incidents of TBIs are going underreported, undetected, and poorly managed. Much of the problems arise due to current athletic culture and violent behavior during games. Mild TBIs have significantly more dangerous and long term consequences than previously thought. Diagnosis, imaging techniques, and treatments for mild TBIs are not strictly defined and are still in development. The knowledge and awareness of mild TBI’s symptoms are not widely spread. Preventive techniques of TBIs are not fully developed.

The topic that I chose to focus on for this assignment was the social dysfunctions such as learning and behavior in relations to traumatic brain injuries specifically within young adults and children. These traumatic injuries can range from a concussion to cracking one’s skull open during a fall. After reading the articles listed in the reference page, I have learned that those suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) have a drastic change in their quality of life. It becomes harder for these children to act the way they are supposed to or learn the way they did prior to the incident (Ryan, N., Catroppa, C., p. 196). It was surprising to learn that depending on your environment post TBI your recovery can be changed. Research has shown that if a child’s environment consists of caring and supportive family members, teachers, and peers a child can have a full recovery; including normal behavior and no social dysfunctions. However, if a child is surrounded in negativity, the risks of social impairment are a lot higher.

Every year there is more and more worries about whether or not football should be discontinued because of all the traumatic brain injuries that happen to all different aged kids. “A concussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain, typically induced by trauma to the brain” (Concussion). With over “1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions occurring each year”(Concussion) this debate could be a highly one sided decision whether or not to end the game of American Football. “More than one million young athletes play highschool football every year” (Kounang). This is only including high school so these numbers do not include college or the

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is estimated to affect 1.6-3.8 million annually in the United States (Langlois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). The incidence of traumatic brain injury in military personnel has increased since the military operation began in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2001, and while the exact number of cases is unknown, it has been estimated to be as high as 18% (Hoge, McGurk, Thomas, Cox, Engle, & Castro, 2008). There has been a growing concern for for the ramifications of traumatic brain injury, especially as a result of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) is the most common type of TBI in civilians and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans and soldiers (Carlson, Kehle, Meis, Greer, MacDonald, Rutks, Sayer, Dobscha, & Wilt, 2011). Operationally defined, mTBI in military settings is an injury to the brain as a result of an external force like a blast, fall, impact, or vehicle accident which changes the mental state with a presentation of symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness/balance problems, fatigue, insomnia/sleep disturbances, drowsiness, sensitivity to light/ noise, blurred vision, difficulty remembering, and/or

People in West Virginia, and throughout the U.S., commonly suffer traumatic brain injuries. In 2010, patients were diagnosed with these types of injuries in 2.2 million emergency department visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Generally, occurring when people suffer a blow, bump or jolt to their bodies or heads, traumatic brain injuries may be caused by any number of factors. This may include motor vehicle collisions, falls, assaults, and other types of accidents. Regardless of how they are sustained, these types of injuries may have lasting implications for those who suffer them, and their families.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability among children, adolescents, and adults (Trudel, Scherer, & Elias, 2009, p.41). There are close to 1.4 million individuals a year who are treated with a TBI. Out of this 50,000 of them die. That is 1 out of every 28 people treated for a TBI dies every year. Another 6 out of 28 people are admitted into medical facilities for longer-term care. These number do not take in account the number of people each year with TBI’s who go untreated. However, TBI’s had received little to no support publicly or policy wise until recent years. This increase in attention was due to the increase in TBI’s among military personnel returning home from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Everyone is at risk for a traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially children and older adults. The severity of a TBI case may range from mild, which is a brief change in mental status or consciousness to moderate/severe, which is an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. Mild TBI is the most prevalent TBI and is characterized by unconsciousness and/or confusion and disorientation for less than 30 minutes caused by the forceful motion of the head or impact. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the individual may have mental problems such as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration. All of these injuries are often overlooked but they are extremely important to

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (MTBI) or Concussions as they are most commonly known, can cause serious damage on the effected athletes brain resulting in the athlete suffering short-term effects (e.g. headache), long-term effects (e.g. memory loss) or both depending on the severity of force inflicted to the skull.

Over ten million traumatic brain injuries occur throughout the world each year (Kim et. al.). In the United States, there are 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries annually relating to sports injuries, and approximately 10% of military veterans have suffered a traumatic brain injury with persistent symptoms (Tan, Meehan, et. al.). Although traumatic brain injuries are most common in war or athletic injuries, anyone is at risk for a traumatic brain injury from random traumatic events. Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death in individuals under the age of 24, most of which are caused by car accidents. The annual medical costs of traumatic brain injuries are estimated to be $60.4 billion, including $51.2 billion lost each year

Even without physical damage to your brain’s tissue, a concussion can cause immediate unconsciousness, secondary injury, and even death. It is worth noting that you can also remain conscious during a severe concussion and still have secondary injuries. Surgery is usually not required for a concussion, and consciousness is typically regained within 72 hours (see Recovery, below). However, if blood vessels inside the skull are damaged, surgery will be required to stop the bleeding and excess pressure within the skull, and repair the damaged vessels.

Traumatic Brain Injuries are serious issues in the United States for health care providers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). A TBI occurs

Head injury may occur in any part such as the brain, scalp, skull and the underlying tissues in the head. It is one of the crucial conditions to treat. Head injuries will be either closed or opened. In closed injury, the skull will not have any injury or break. The open injury is one which breaks the skull and penetrates into the brain. The basis of head trauma, head injuries are otherwise called as brain injuries or traumatic brain injuries.