Transcript Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Chapter 7
Traumatic Brain Injuries
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Head injuries are a leading cause of
accidental death in the United States
Damage is caused not only by injury but also
by the effect of the brain ricocheting off the
sides of the skull
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Shaken Baby Syndrome is a good example
NEVER shake a baby!
Concussion
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Occurs when brain
injury is slight
Patient feels dizzy, ‘see
stars,’ or lose
consciousness briefly
No permanent brain
damage occurs
Contusion
Results in brain tissue destruction
 Severe brain stem contusions always
result in a coma lasting from hours to a
lifetime
 If the injury occurs in the cerebral
cortex, the individual may remain
conscious but possible lose some brain
function.
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Intracranial hemorrhage
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Bleeding from ruptured vessels
Cerebral edema/Hematoma
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Swelling of the brain
due to inflammation
caused by the injury
Swelling or
hemorrhage both
compress vital brain
tissue which can
lead to death
Cerebrovascular Accidents
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3rd leading cause of death in the US
Occurs when blood circulation to a brain area
is blocked (by a blood clot or a ruptured
blood vessel)
The vital brain tissue dies
Can be diagnosed by observing the patient’s
symptoms
Hemiplegia
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If the patient’s left-side
is paralyzed, then the
right motor cortex of the
frontal lobes is probably
involved.
Aphasias
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Occurs from damage to the left cerebral
hemisphere where the language areas are
located.
Maddening to the victims because usually
their intellect is unaffected.
Can change a person’s personality, too
– Motor aphasia: lose ability to speak
– Sensory aphasia: loses the ability to
understand written or spoken language
Life after Cerebrovascular Accidents
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Fewer than a third are alive three years later.
However, some survive because they
recover at least part of their lost faculties.
Occurs because undamaged neurons spread
into areas where neurons have died and take
over some lost functions.
This is a phenomenon.
Transient Ischemic
Attack
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These are considered incomplete strokes.
They restrict blood flow to parts of the brain.
They last from 5 to 50 minutes
Characterized by symptoms like
– numbness
– temporary paralysis
– impaired speech
Effects not permanent but are ‘red flags’ that warn for
a future, more serious brain attack