Traumatic Brain Injuries

1. Traumatic Brain Injuries Chapter 7

2. Traumatic Brain Injuries • Head injuries are a leading cause of accidental death in the United States • Damage is caused not only by injury but also by the effect of the brain ricocheting off the sides of the skull • Shaken Baby Syndrome is a good example • NEVER shake a baby!

3. Concussion • Occurs when brain injury is slight • Patient feels dizzy, ‘see stars,’ or lose consciousness briefly • No permanent brain damage occurs

4. Contusion • Results in brain tissue destruction • Severe brain stem contusions always result in a coma lasting from hours to a lifetime • If the injury occurs in the cerebral cortex, the individual may remain conscious but possible lose some brain function.

5. Intracranial hemorrhage • Bleeding from ruptured vessels

6. Cerebral edema/Hematoma • Swelling of the brain due to inflammation caused by the injury • Swelling or hemorrhage both compress vital brain tissue which can lead to death

7. Cerebrovascular Accidents • 3rd leading cause of death in the US • Occurs when blood circulation to a brain area is blocked (by a blood clot or a ruptured blood vessel) • The vital brain tissue dies • Can be diagnosed by observing the patient’s symptoms

8. Hemiplegia • If the patient’s left-side is paralyzed, then the right motor cortex of the frontal lobes is probably involved.

9. Aphasias • Occurs from damage to the left cerebral hemisphere where the language areas are located. • Maddening to the victims because usually their intellect is unaffected. • Can change a person’s personality, too • Motor aphasia: lose ability to speak • Sensory aphasia: loses the ability to understand written or spoken language

10. Life after Cerebrovascular Accidents • Fewer than a third are alive three years later. • However, some survive because they recover at least part of their lost faculties. • Occurs because undamaged neurons spread into areas where neurons have died and take over some lost functions. • This is a phenomenon.

11. Transient Ischemic Attack • These are considered incomplete strokes. • They restrict blood flow to parts of the brain. • They last from 5 to 50 minutes • Characterized by symptoms like • numbness • temporary paralysis • impaired speech • Effects not permanent but are ‘red flags’ that warn for a future, more serious brain attack