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What are the Symptoms of a Brain Injury?

Memory Loss

Many people who sustain traumatic brain injuries will require lifelong care as a result. One such lasting effect that has no cure is the loss of memory after a TBI. Even when a mild brain injury occurs, memory loss is still very common. The more severe the loss of memory after the brain injury, the more significant the brain damage will likely be.

Temporary Memory Loss

Some victims of TBIs get amnesia and are unable to recall what happened just before, during and after the brain injury. This loss can be temporary, caused by the swelling of the brain in response to the damage that occurred. When the brain swells and is pressed against the skull, even parts that were not directly injured are unable to work properly. The victim’s memory usually returns as the swelling goes down, but this can take weeks and sometimes months. Memory loss can also be an emotional response, or the body’s defense mechanism, to the stress caused by the events that led to the TBI.

Permanent Damage

When damage occurs to the nerves and axons (the connections between the nerves), permanent memory loss can occur. The brain can’t heal itself like a broken arm or leg can. Therefore, any function that is damaged during a TBI is usually a permanent impairment, unless the brain learns how to compensate and perform the lost function in a different way. A result of this type of amnesia may include the loss of meanings of certain common, everyday objects or words, or a person may not remember skills he had before the TBI. Many times this level of brain injury will prevent a victim from being able to return to the life and job they had before the damage occurred.

Anteretrograde Amnesia

Another type of memory loss is called anteretrograde amnesia. This is characterized by the inability to form memories of events that happen after the injury. Research shows that when a TBI occurs, the levels of protein in the brain, which help to balance brain activity, are reduced. Without enough protein, the brain can easily overload and memory formation is affected. At the moment, there is no treatment or cure for memory loss following TBI. The memory that doesn’t return on its own is usually lost permanently.

What Care Is Available for Traumatic Brain Injury Victims?

Part of what makes a brain injury so costly to treat is the level of care required to stabilize a patient and minimize the long-term impact of the injury. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, some of the types of care that might be used to address a traumatic brain injury include:

• Emergency care and evaluation in a trauma unit and/or intensive care unit;
• Specialty neurotrauma or other specialty trauma center;
• Comprehensive integrated inpatient brain injury rehabilitation;
• Long-term acute care;
• Outpatient care (with live-in treatment or daily at-home treatment);
• Transitional rehabilitation;
• Group home; and/or
• Nursing home care or assisted living facility.

During the often-lengthy recovery process from a brain injury, a patient may require the services of a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech pathologist, a physiatrist, a recreational therapist, and other specialized medical professionals. A variety of medications and medical devices exist to help ease the brain injury victim’s day-to-day life and provide comfort and stability. We will work with your medical team to determine how much compensation is necessary to provide you or your loved one with the best level of care possible.