Brain
Injury, the Silent Epidemic
by Nansie Chapman
Each
year in this country approximately 2 million Americans will experience
a brain injury and 50,000 will die. And what happens to those who
live? It is estimated that around 80,000 of those who survive will
suffer from a long-term disability as a result of their head trauma,
also known as Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) or Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI).
ABI
is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young
adults. It is not surprising to find the highest rate of injury from
a head trauma occurring in young men between the ages of 15 and 24;
young males participate in a higher level of competitive and extreme
sports than other age groups, and there is a growing number of boys
involved in violent crimes. The other age group affected is the over
75 years-of-age. This group, however, has a larger percentage of afflictions
as a result from accidents, strokes and brain disease. What is interesting
to note is, at any age, men are twice as likely to experience a traumatic
brain injury as women. The top causes of ABI are motor vehicle accidents
(where the person is either riding in the car or is struck as a pedestrian),
falls, violent crimes (especially from firearms), or head injury as
a result of shaking a child (often seen in cases of child abuse).
So
What Exactly is Acquired Brain Injury?
ABI
occurs when a sudden physical assault damages the brain. The damage
can be focal (confined to one area of the brain as in a physical
blow to the head) or diffuse (occurs in more than one area of the
brain as in some forms of brain cancer). The severity of the injury
can range from a mild concussion to a complex injury that results
in a coma or even death.
There
are Two Ways in Which Acquired Brain Injury Occurs.
(1)
Closed Brain Injury
When
there is a sudden non-penetrating injury to the brain with no apparent
breaks to the skull, it is known as a closed brain injury. This
is usually caused from a rapid jerking or forward and backward movement
to the head. It is often seen as a result of car accidents or falls
where there is no physical impact from an object but the head is
severely jerked, causing tearing of the brain tissue and blood vessels.
In young infants, a closed brain injury can result from severe shaking
of child that often results from the actions of a frustrated sibling,
caretaker or parent. There have been too many incidents when a child
dies or ends up with severe brain damage as a result of someone's
frustration. Education and proper childcare techniques are important
tools in making everyone aware of the dangers that can result from
this type of inappropriate treatment of children.
(2)
Penetrating or Open Head Injury
The
second kind of trauma to the head occurs when there is a break in
the skull, such as when a foreign object like a bullet pierces the
brain.
Primary
and Secondary Brain Injury
Primary
brain injury occurs from the initial sudden impact. This occurs
at the time of the car accident, fall, gunshot wound or other devastating
blow.
Secondary
brain injury is what happens to the brain over a period of time
after the initial blow. This includes a variety of symptoms resulting
from cellular and chemical changes that occur after the initial
blow that result in further damage to the brain (like severe swelling
and internal bruising or bleeding).
Imagine
your head is a basketball. Inside the basketball is a volleyball,
which is your brain and of course is smaller in size. If you had
a video camera attached to the volleyball and dropped the basketball
from about five feet above the ground, you would see what happens
to your brain during an injury. The volleyball (your head) hits
the ground. The initial impact is called the direct blow and is
known in medical terms as what causes the coup lesion (pronounced
COO) or a bruise directly related to trauma at the site of impact.
After the initial impact the volleyball then hits the opposite side
of the basketball causing a bruise called a countercoup lesion.
This secondary reaction can often cause more damage than the initial
impact. Tearing of internal tissues and blood vessels leads to further
bruising, bleeding, swelling and additional trauma to the brain.
Brain
tumors and strokes can have the same devastating effects as a severe
blow to the head. Like in all head trauma, symptoms can be mild,
and with proper care, disappearing over time. Or, the results can
be more severe with permanent disability or even death resulting.
Long-term
care for ABI usually lasts over a lifetime. Most studies suggest that
once the brain cells are destroyed or damaged, for the most part,
they do not regenerate. However, the latest research now shows that
the brain can compensate for the injury by learning to reroute information
to other parts of the brain. New pathways form and the brain finds
ways to adopt to old and new stimulation creating what seems at times
as miraculous recoveries. However, in most cases the recovery is long,
painful and physically and emotionally debilitating not only for the
patient but also for family members. Permanent disabilities often
follow the ABI patient from the time of the initial impact until the
end of his/her life.
In
Santa Barbara we are extremely fortunate to have two outstanding facilities*
that are available to assist brain injury patients with short and
long-term recovery. The Rehabilitation Center of Santa Barbara is
equipped to handle immediate and short-term traumatic head injuries
with a full staff of doctors, therapists, nurses and staff. Jodi House
is a day facility that is available to assist in the long-term concerns
of head injury patients and their families. Here you will find support
groups, classes, independent living skills, recreation, etc. For further
information call 563-2882.
The
above information was extracted from material provided by the National
Association of Head Injury.
Brain
Injury, the Silent Epidemic
Permission to reprint by:
Santa Barbara Family Life Magazine
August issue 2001
Sbfamilylife.com
*
Note: Another great organization providing valuable services for
Santa Barbara residents living with a brain injury is Solutions
at Santa Barbara. Click
here for more information.
