For years, I have been trying to get the word out that head injuries, even mild ones, can cause serious damage to the brain and can change your life forever.
After viewing more than 54,000 brain scans, it has become very clear to me that what many people think of as mild head trauma can have a significantly negative effect on people’s brains and can significantly change their lives and their ability to look and feel their best.
Studies show that people who have suffered brain injuries, even mild ones, often experience emotional, behavioral, or cognitive problems. When you have trouble thinking or reasoning, you can’t make the best decisions for your body.
Suffering a brain injury is also associated with a higher incidence of alcoholism and drug abuse””both of which lead to premature aging, possible weight problems, potentially devastating health conditions, and homelessness.
Many times, these injuries go unnoticed, in part because mental health professionals never look at brain function. And CT and MRI scans, which show the structure of the brain rather than activity in the brain, may appear to be normal even when there is damage.
A new study in the journal Radiology shows how important other types of brain imaging can be in diagnosing potentially life-changing brain injuries. The researchers used diffusion tensor imaging, a different type of MRI, to determine that even mild head trauma can seriously injure the brain
The research team evaluated 20 emergency room patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents or falls to determine if there was a brain injury. They also performed imaging on 20 control subjects.
They found that the diffusion tensor imaging technique revealed problems in the prefrontal cortex that resulted in impaired executive function.
Imaging the brain is critical in the case of head trauma. Even more important is preventing brain injuries. Protect your brain.
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I had a car accident a month ago. After a strong whiplash, my sight dimmed for little bit. Now, I noticed that I kinna slowed dowm, I turn out to be forgetful, and I get irritated too easily. Do you think it has something to do with the accident? I am only 28 by the way. Thanks.
I suffered brain injury after being violently assaulted at work about 10 years ago. I never received proper care b/c worker’s comp was more interested in trying to prove I was crazy before the assault. The doctor’s wouldn’t provide treatment b/c of the worker’ comp claim. At one point one of the worker’s comp doctors told me my brain injury would heal on its own, that only brain damage didn’t heal. But I’ve know all along that I wasn’t the same. I have anger issues that I can’t control and don’t even know why I’m angry sometimes. I also have memory and focus issues. I can’t find a doctor who will try to properly diagnose my problem. They will prescibe ritialin, prozak, etc. within 5 minutes of first meeting me, but not do an evalulation. Can you recommend a doctor near where I live who can provide treatment. I can’t afford the travel to one of your clinics. I live in Shreveport, LA. I have a daughter I can visit with to obtain treatment in Dallas, and maybe stay with a sister in Atlanta to obtain treatment. Please help me.
My son is 12 yrs. old He has a dx of Bipolar, General anxiety, IED, and he can not function in school or most situations. He does well when in his comfort zones, but will errupt anywhere else with the slightest change. I know there has to be help out there for him. I know he was dropped on his head when he was 2, but it didn’t seem to affect him at the time. He also fell this year again he hit his head and about an hour later he was upset, got stressed when being asked about something he did that day at school. Whilebeing asked questions he started rubbing his head and looking around the room saying I don’t know , I don’t know. We were at his therapist office. He then didn’t know what day it was or what time of day it was. We took him outside for some air by then he asked us where we were! She told me to take him home and to call if it got worse or went back to normal. I asked him on the way home how old he would be his next birthday he said SEVEN, he was elevrn at the time.I said something about our apt. He knew nothing about an apt. He wanted to go home and see his dad. We have not lived with him for four years at the time. Now I was afraid to go to the Apt. My mom lives close so I took him there she aked him what he did in school today. He said he went to the bear store and he still had some bear money left over. That was what he had done in kindergarden . He confirmed he was inMrs. Haight’s class(kindergarden) and wanted to go home and play with Sherman(his dogwhen he was 6)I was so afraid I called my oldr son who is 30 yrs. old. My older son walked him thriygh different things in his life up to the present and he was fially himself again. But he has some real social and educational problems. I could not keep my job for having to go to the school evryday. So now I work 8 hrs 4 days a week and home school. But I need help on how to manage his education. He shows no agression towards me, but can and has at others in a flash. Please help me I LOVE my son, we need some things to be able to tell his Dr.’s so we can get some testing done!! I am desperate not to see my son become a statistic or homeless, in jail, on drugs, or dropping out of school. Can you help me? Thank You, CathyMullings