Brain injury or brain damage is the pathological condition wherein brain cells are destroyed. This degeneration of brain cells may result from a variety of situations or conditions, diseases and injuriesx97usually to the head. These damages to the brain could be caused by a prolonged shortage of oxygen supplied to the brain, certain infections, trauma and neurological disorders.
Although it is difficult to assess or gauge the actual damage done to a person’s life, assessing the extent of the brain damage could be done by letting the patient undergo a neurological examination. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessments are also done in order to further assess the extent of brain cell degeneration. However, in the cases of children or infants who are suffering from brain damage, it is more difficult for specialists to gauge the extent and effects of the damage. This is because different areas of the brain mature at different stages. For example, it would be impossible to know if the area responsible for speech has been damaged until the infant reaches the speaking age.
The extent of the brain injury and the location of the damaged tissues play an important role in knowing what effects and problems the patient may have. For example, damage to the brain stem can very much likely lead to paralysis or a permanent vegetative state. Other effects of brain injury are delusions or hallucinations, speech problems such as slurring, decreased mobility, neurocognitive deficits, amnesia, coma and even death.
Impairment or disability that is caused by brain injury may be treated differently depending on the severity of brain cell degeneration. These treatments include medication, surgery, neuropsychological rehabilitation and physical implants. In severe cases, there are also methods such as deep brain stimulation. Rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients is spearheaded by specialists in this area such as neurosurgeons, neurologists and neuropsychologists. These experts are capable of understanding the effects of brain injury, assessing brain damage and creating the appropriate rehabilitation program for each patient. In such programs, professionals help patients regain complete body functions and relearn essential skills.
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Traumatic Brain Injury
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Traumatic brain injury is a head injury that results from sudden trauma which causes brain cell destruction or degeneration. Types of head injury include contusions or bruising of the brain and intracranial hemorrhage or heavy bleeding in the skull. This could be caused by a...
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Brain Injury Rehabilitation
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In the United States alone, over 1 million people each year suffer a traumatic brain injury. Some of the injuries are mild, but others require medical attention and rehabilitation. In recent years, many rehabilitation clinics and day care centers have appeared that focus on giving...
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Hypoxic Brain Injury
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Hypoxic brain injury or cerebral hypoxia is a condition that refers to a severe decrease of oxygen supplied to the brain, even though there is sufficient blood flow. This condition may be caused by a blockage in the respiratory tract or airways brought about by...
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Brain Stem Injury
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The Brain Stem is a part of the brain located beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects the spinal cord to the rest of the brain. The brain stem controls involuntary muscles such as the stomach and the heart. The brain...
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Brain Injury Associations
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Millions of people all over the world receive a brain injury each year. In the United States alone, more than 1.5 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. With such a large number of people suffering from TBI, it is vital that there...
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Anoxic Brain Injury
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Anoxic Brain Injury occurs in cases of severe lack of oxygen to the brain. This usually happens when blood is unable to flow to the brain due to certain injuries or bleeding. There are three types of such injury: anemic anoxia (blood doesn’t carry enough...
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Effects of Brain Injury
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Traumatic brain injury is very serious and its effects can be disastrous. Since the brain controls nearly all of the body’s functions, receiving a TBI can cause a number of disabilities that can affect a person’s cognition, physical abilities, and emotional functioning. Most traumatic brain...
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Brain Injury Lawyers
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There are thousands of specialized lawyers in the field of personal injury. Some of them take only brain injury cases and are experts at helping brain injury victims received the necessary money and support to recover from their condition. These lawyers can make the people...
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Aquired Brain Injury Attorneys
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An acquired brain injury impairs the functioning of the brain. There could be many causes of an acquired brain injury. The most common causes include vehicular accidents, sports injuries and falls. These injuries can cause permanent disabilities. They can even prove to be fatal. If...
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Acquired Brain Injury
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There are two main ways brain injury can occur, insidious onset (tumors, neurological diseases, and substance and alcohol abuse) or outside onset (infection, lack of oxygen, trauma, and strokes). Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is brain damage suffered after birth. The main causes of ABI include...