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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common neurological disorder and a common cause of neurocognitive deficits. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are 1.4 million annual cases of traumatic brain injury in the U.S, with most resulting from motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults and sport or recreational incidences.
Contrary to popular misconception, the skull does not need to be penetrated in order for the brain to be injured. Rather, a traumatic brain
injury can occur in a variety of ways:
- Direct force against a specific area of the head and brain
- Acceleration/deceleration forces, such as whiplash
- Coup/contra-coup event in which the impact to one area of the head results in injury to an opposing area of the brain
- Diffuse type of injury as might occur from an explosion
Depending on the severity of a TBI, individuals can have critical symptoms such as loss of consciousness, amnesia, and seizures. However, in many cases the symptoms are less severe but may include:
- Headaches
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Slowed thinking
- Communication problems
- Impaired judgment
- Impulsive behavior
- Moodiness
- Anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Loss/changes of smell & taste
- Balance problems
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vision and/or hearing problems
Furthermore, symptoms do not always appear immediately, but may emerge days, weeks or months after an incident. Regardless of the time of onset, the persistence of TBI symptoms can cause significant disruptions in family life, career, health and overall functioning. High Definition Brain SPECT Imaging, which assesses regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), is recognized as a highly effective diagnostic tool for evaluating functional deficits from mild and moderate head trauma that are often missed by anatomical studies such as MRI and CT. By utilizing CereScan's High Definition Brain SPECT Imaging in TBI cases, it is possible to:
- Positively identify the presence of persistent TBI
- Measure treatment progress and effectiveness over time
- Quantify the TBI patient's long-term prognosis
For additional resources from the Centers for Disease Control, please visit the links below:
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/FactSheets/Facts_About_TBI.pdf
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/TBI_Publications.htm
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