A traumatic brain injury is when there is a blow to the head that causes disruption to brain function. This disruption can range from mild to profound; mild changes may be a headache and short term loss of memory, with more severe injuries exhibiting different types of symptoms that can be noted by an individual being unable to walk, talk or care of themselves any longer. Traumatic brain injuries are a serious health problem, and contribute to a significant number of deaths and permanent injury each year. Many traumatic brain injuries can be prevented with the use of safety devices for specific activities – things like seat belts in cars, and helmets while biking, skiing, snowmobiling and racing can all help to eliminate or reduce the risk of a brain injury in the case of an accident.
What are the causes of Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury can be caused by many different things – car accidents, falls, and blows to the head are some of the common ways that an individual can sustain a brain injury. Any time there is an event that causes a hit to the head, there can be a traumatic brain injury as a result of that hit. A traumatic brain injury can also occur when an object penetrates the skull into the brain matter. This type of injury can occur when force is used to push something into the skull; when this type of injury occurs, significant damage can caused and impairment to every day function and skills may be noted.
What is open and close head (brain) injury?
There are different ways to classify a traumatic brain injury – one of those is to define it as either an open or a closed head injury. An open head injury refers to a hit to the head where there is a break in skull cavity. When that occurs, this is called an open head injury, or a penetrating head injury. A traumatic brain injury where the skull cavity is not compromised is referred to as a closed head injury. A closed head injury means that the brain and skull have not been penetrated, and the injuries sustained are due to the impact to the skull and/or the brain hitting the inside of the skull during the incident.
Concussion and traumatic brain injury
There is a lot of information regarding the differences between a concussion and a traumatic brain injury. Concussion is described as “a sudden-onset, transient alteration of consciousness due to a combination of functional and structural brain disturbances following a physical impact transmitted to the brain.” In easier terms, a concussion is a noted change in a person’s consciousness after being hit in the head. Sometimes a concussion can be referred to as a mild brain injury, as noted in the media these days, there may be information in the medical world aligning concussions with mild traumatic brain injuries. Although medical definitions may vary, there seems to be some correlation being put together between a mild traumatic brain injury and a concussion.
Traumatic brain injury can cause concussion. A concussion is a noted change in a person’s consciousness after being hit in the head. Sometimes a concussion can be referred to as a mild brain injury,
Contusion and brain injury
A contusion can happen when there is an impact to the brain that causes a bruise, similar to what may happen when you have a contusion on any other part of the body. If the contusion on the brain causes bleeding, there can then be subsequent brain damage that occurs from the contusion. A brain injury may or may not include a diagnosis of contusion, and contusions can heal on its own at times without medical intervention.
Coup-Contrecoup and traumatic brain injury
When an individual has a traumatic brain injury, there may be part of the injury that can be defined as coup-contrecoup. This is a description of how the brain was impacted during the injury; coup refers to the initial injury where the impact occurred, and contrecoup is the brain injury on the opposite side of the first area, when the brain bounces towards the other side of the head. Coup-contrecoup injuries are common in accidents or injuries where the body is moving and comes to an abrupt stop, as in a car accident, or when the head is impacted and the brain slams to the other side of the skull. Either way, this injury can cause contusions to the brain tissue, and bleeding on the brain depending on the severity of the injury.
Diffuse Axonal and traumatic brain injury
When someone is diagnosed with a diffuse axonal brain injury, it is referring to a severe type of injury that often has long-lasting, devastating results. Individuals with this type of injury have a “shift” in the center margin in their brain, meaning that the two hemispheres are no longer equal, but the brain tissue has moved to one side or another, causing significant brain damage. When this type of injury occurs, there are often severe injuries – most individuals fall into a coma, and many do not regain consciousness following this type of brain injury.
Penetration and traumatic brain injury
As discussed above, a penetrating brain injury occurs when the skull is impaled by an object, causing damage to the brain inside. This can occur when something is forced into the head i.e. a stick or knife, or the bone from the skull caused by a significant impact to the head. When this happens, the brain matter is damaged by the object that has entered the skull cavity. Often times, significant damage occurs with this type of injury, and at times, can lead to death.One noted difference with this type of injury is that there is an increased risk of shock with a penetrating head injury. Although not noted with every injury, the risk increased when the brain is penetrated with a foreign object.
What are the causes of Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury can be caused by many different things – car accidents, falls, and blows to the head are some of the common ways that an individual can sustain a brain injury. Any time there is an event that causes a hit to the head, there can be a traumatic brain injury as a result of that hit. A traumatic brain injury can also occur when an object penetrates the skull into the brain matter. This type of injury can occur when force is used to push something into the skull; when this type of injury occurs, significant damage can caused and impairment to every day function and skills may be noted.
What is open and close head (brain) injury?
There are different ways to classify a traumatic brain injury – one of those is to define it as either an open or a closed head injury. An open head injury refers to a hit to the head where there is a break in skull cavity. When that occurs, this is called an open head injury, or a penetrating head injury. A traumatic brain injury where the skull cavity is not compromised is referred to as a closed head injury. A closed head injury means that the brain and skull have not been penetrated, and the injuries sustained are due to the impact to the skull and/or the brain hitting the inside of the skull during the incident.
Concussion and traumatic brain injury
There is a lot of information regarding the differences between a concussion and a traumatic brain injury. Concussion is described as “a sudden-onset, transient alteration of consciousness due to a combination of functional and structural brain disturbances following a physical impact transmitted to the brain.” In easier terms, a concussion is a noted change in a person’s consciousness after being hit in the head. Sometimes a concussion can be referred to as a mild brain injury, as noted in the media these days, there may be information in the medical world aligning concussions with mild traumatic brain injuries. Although medical definitions may vary, there seems to be some correlation being put together between a mild traumatic brain injury and a concussion.
Traumatic brain injury can cause concussion. A concussion is a noted change in a person’s consciousness after being hit in the head. Sometimes a concussion can be referred to as a mild brain injury,
Contusion and brain injury
A contusion can happen when there is an impact to the brain that causes a bruise, similar to what may happen when you have a contusion on any other part of the body. If the contusion on the brain causes bleeding, there can then be subsequent brain damage that occurs from the contusion. A brain injury may or may not include a diagnosis of contusion, and contusions can heal on its own at times without medical intervention.
Coup-Contrecoup and traumatic brain injury
When an individual has a traumatic brain injury, there may be part of the injury that can be defined as coup-contrecoup. This is a description of how the brain was impacted during the injury; coup refers to the initial injury where the impact occurred, and contrecoup is the brain injury on the opposite side of the first area, when the brain bounces towards the other side of the head. Coup-contrecoup injuries are common in accidents or injuries where the body is moving and comes to an abrupt stop, as in a car accident, or when the head is impacted and the brain slams to the other side of the skull. Either way, this injury can cause contusions to the brain tissue, and bleeding on the brain depending on the severity of the injury.
Diffuse Axonal and traumatic brain injury
When someone is diagnosed with a diffuse axonal brain injury, it is referring to a severe type of injury that often has long-lasting, devastating results. Individuals with this type of injury have a “shift” in the center margin in their brain, meaning that the two hemispheres are no longer equal, but the brain tissue has moved to one side or another, causing significant brain damage. When this type of injury occurs, there are often severe injuries – most individuals fall into a coma, and many do not regain consciousness following this type of brain injury.
Penetration and traumatic brain injury
As discussed above, a penetrating brain injury occurs when the skull is impaled by an object, causing damage to the brain inside. This can occur when something is forced into the head i.e. a stick or knife, or the bone from the skull caused by a significant impact to the head. When this happens, the brain matter is damaged by the object that has entered the skull cavity. Often times, significant damage occurs with this type of injury, and at times, can lead to death.One noted difference with this type of injury is that there is an increased risk of shock with a penetrating head injury. Although not noted with every injury, the risk increased when the brain is penetrated with a foreign object.
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