TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is physical injury to brain tissue that temporarily or permanently impairs brain function. It is diagnosed by clinical symptoms and usually confirmed by medical tests such as imaging (primarily CT- scans).
In South Africa, as in much of the world, TBI is a common cause of death and disability.
Causes and Types of Traumatic Brain Injury
Causes of TBI include:
- Falls (especially in older adults and young children);
- Motor vehicle crashes and other transportation-related causes (eg, bicycle crashes, collisions with pedestrians);
- Assaults; and
- Sports activities (eg, sports-related concussions).
There are two types of brain injury: traumatic brain injury and acquired brain injury. Both disrupt the brain’s normal functioning.
- Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) is caused by an external force — such as a blow to the head — that causes the brain to move inside the skull or damages the skull. This in turn damages the brain.
- Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)occurs at the cellular level. It is most often associated with pressure on the brain. This could come from a tumor. Or it could result from neurological illness, as in the case of a stroke.
Head injuries vs brain injury
Head injuries can range from a simple concussion to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can result in memory loss, cognitive impairments and behavioural changes. All traumatic brain injuries are head injuries. But a head injury is not necessarily a traumatic brain injury. That being said, even mild concussions may have serious effects months or years after the incident.
Initially, most patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) lose consciousness (usually for seconds or minutes), although some patients with minor injuries have only confusion or amnesia. Some patients have seizures or end up in a coma.
It is always important to attend a hospital to ensure that there is no intracranial pressure or bleeding or pressure which could result in further damage, disability or death.
Which parts of the brain are affected?
The parts of the brain that are most commonly affected in traumatic brain injury are the frontal and temporal lobes. The temporal lobes, contain essential areas for memory but also play a major role in language and emotions. They help people understand words, speak, read, write, and connect words with their meanings.
Injury to different parts of the brain may have different symptoms and can affect virtually any part of a person’s mental or physical functioning.
Symptoms and signs of TBI during and after an injury
Symptoms of various types of TBI may overlap considerably.
An injury could result in a hematoma (collection of blood or bleeding in the brain) which could develop within minutes to several hours after the injury. Subdural or intracerebral hematomas and Increased Intracranial pressure could require immediate surgery to avoid cell death.
Symptoms and long term effects could range from mild to severe and present as:
- Increasing headache
- Decreased level of consciousness, drowsiness or confusion
- Focal neurologic deficits (a problem with nerve, spinal cord, or brain function eg, hemiparesis or facial paralysis)
- Depression, anxiety, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, behavioural changes and loss of intellectual functioning.
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Vomiting
- Hypertension (usually with increased pulse pressure)
- Loss of smell and hearing
- Complete cognitive and physical disability
- Spastic motor impairment, gait and balance disturbances, ataxia, and sensory losses may occur.
- A persistent vegetative state can result from a TBI that destroys forebrain cognitive functions but spares the brain stem.
Following a brain injury, many patients require rehabilitation and may have lifelong symptoms. Few patients recover normal neurologic function when a persistent vegetative state lasts for 3 months after injury, and almost none recover after 6 months. Neurologic function may continue to improve for a few years after TBI, most rapidly during the initial 6 months.
Do only children get brain injuries?
No, brain injuries do happen both to adults and children. It can be the result of an accident, injury or illness which can happen at any age of life. It is possible for children to suffer brain injury during birth or even as a baby if they suffered an injury to the head.
Brain Injury due to a motor vehicle accident
If your brain injury was the result of another person’s negligent driving, you may be entitled to compensation through the Road Accident Fund. Personal injury claims often involve a long period of litigation with various medical assessments to determine the extent of the injury as well as the resulting damage. Since head injuries can be severe, calculating the value of these kinds of claims can be particularly challenging. This is why it is vital to appoint an attorney specialising in personal injury law and knows what aspects have to be investigated and proven in court.
If you have any questions about a suspected brain injury and possible negligence, feel free to contact Paul du Plessis Attorneys by phone 012 809 1588 or e-mail at paul@pauldup.co.za.
For more information visit these resources:
https://pauldup.co.za/road-accident-fund/
https://msktc.org/tbi/factsheets/Understanding-TBI/Brain-Injury-Impact-On-Individuals-Functioning
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-due-specific-causes/