Severe brain injuries sometimes incapacitate victims, preventing them from leading normal lives. Indeed, traumatic brain injury can be the most devastating kind of accident a person can suffer. Yet even a mild brain injury, it has been found, can have long lasting effects.
A doctor at a well-known school of medicine in Manhattan, New York led an investigation to study the brain’s volume changes in patients who had suffered single mild traumatic brain injury. The study involved 28 patients who sustained head injuries and had been treated from June 2005 to September 2012. Their injuries were sustained at least one year prior to the study. It is also included 22 non-injured individuals.
All participants had three-dimensional magnetic resonance images of their white and gray brain matter taken. The brain’s gray matter is made up of neurons and is responsible for thinking and action. The white matter helps in transmitting messages to various parts of the brain. The images showed that both the white and gray matter was shrunken in the participants with mild traumatic brain injury.
The research shows that, even after one year following a single concussive incident, the brain had undergone structural changes that can cause deterioration in the patient’s attention and memory abilities. These patients may also show symptoms of increased anxiety levels and concussion. Such findings may prove that victims of brain injuries from just a single hit may suffer for a long time.
Brain injury victims may find it difficult to fulfill their responsibilities and may be incapable of supporting their families. They may also need long-term care and rehabilitation that may incur ongoing medical expenses. However, if the injury was caused by another person’s negligence, compensation is available for these victims. Compensation claims are best filed with the aid of legal professionals, who can help victims receive the compensation they need and deserve.
Source: Dailyrx.com, “One year later, brain can still hurt,” Jessica K. Smith, March 19, 2013