Brain Trauma

Excerpt

Brain trauma or traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a blow, bump, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Symptoms vary greatly and may range from mild to severe depending on the degree of damage; imaging may or may not reveal changes. Patients with mild TBI may have transient changes in consciousness or mentation, while those with severe TBI may experience prolonged periods of unconsciousness, coma, or death. Factors that are often used to classify severity include changes in structural imaging, length of loss of consciousness, duration of altered mental status, post-traumatic amnesia, and GCS within the first 24 hours. Mild TBI is often called a concussion. Patients who have suffered any degree of TBI are at risk for long-term post-concussive symptoms, including changes in personality, emotional lability or depression, impairment in memory or ability to concentrate, or changes in sensation (visual or hearing changes). Patients who have experienced recurrent TBI are an area of active research, some of which have demonstrated that the cumulative effects of TBI put patients at risk for permanent damage.