Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury usually occurs after a sudden strike to the head, from a car crash, fall or other accident. Insufficient oxygen, poisoning or infection can also cause brain injuries with similar symptoms. In all cases, traumatic brain injuries lead to impairment of cognitive, physical and psychological functions.

Mild traumatic brain injury has similar physiological and psychological effects. It is defined by a traumatically induced physiological disruption, characterized by any one or more of the following symptoms: brief loss of consciousness; loss of memory immediately before or after the injury; any alteration of mental state at the time of the accident; or focal neurological deficits. By definition, mild traumatic brain injury does not result from illness, such as stroke or encephalitis.

Many people who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury appear fine on the outside, but inside suffer from lasting neurological effects. Although loss of consciousness is one of the symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury, a person need not become unconscious to suffer a brain injury. Often, it is difficult to determine the cause of a mild traumatic brain injury if no loss of consciousness or blow to the head occurs.

Post-concussive syndrome is a common result of a mild traumatic brain injury. The word concussion defines any incident that shakes the brain inside the skull. A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury, which produces symptoms such as temporary memory lapse, dizziness, blurry vision, or feeling dazed, disoriented or confused. Symptoms of this mild traumatic brain injury often linger due to post-concussive syndrome.

Persistent symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury can manifest in physical, cognitive and emotional or behavioral characteristics. Physical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Lingering cognitive deficits relate to attention, concentration, memory, perception, speech and language. Behavioral problems involve emotional reactions, including irritability, quickness to anger, depression or disillusionment. In order for these symptoms to relate to the mild traumatic brain injury, there must be no sign of any other injury or ailment.

Because symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury can last for weeks, months or even years after the causal injury, a proper diagnosis is an important key to therapy and treatment. A doctor will assess the damage done by the mild traumatic brain injury by asking a series of questions about the circumstances surrounding the injury.

If you, or someone you know, have suffered from mild traumatic brain injury and would like to know if you are entitled to receiving compensation, please contact us.

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