Recently, researchers at the University of California confirmed that head injuries can lead to serious brain disorders in the future. This study was the first to examine individual cell types’ reactions to brain trauma, which was done through the observation of 6,000 individual cells in 15 different cell types; at least 12 of the 15 cell types were negatively affected by head trauma in some way. These results allowed researchers to identify several genes that are negatively impacted by traumatic brain injury, which could lead to the future development of more effective treatments.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are extremely prominent in the United States – over 2.8 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year. 30,000 of these are children, which can inhibit them from developing normally and doing well in school. TBIs are also a contributing factor in three of 10 of injury-related deaths in the nation. Common causes of TBI, include falling, being hit against or by an object, and car crashes, which are the leading cause of TBI amongst U.S. teenagers.
Separate research, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, revealed that serious neurological and psychiatric disorders are major long-term consequences that can result from TBI in children. This includes headaches, depression and anxiety, intellectual disabilities, seizures, and permanent brain damage. In addition to this, four out of 10 children who sustain a TBI can expect to face at least one lingering symptom five years after the injury occurs.
Traumatic brain injury trends in Washington, DC are particularly troubling. According to the DC Department of Health, the area has some of the highest rates in the nation of hospitalization and death caused by TBI. This translates to DC having the sixth highest fatality rate for TBI patients in the nation.
Ultimately, each new study contributes more to understanding the long-term repercussions of traumatic brain injuries. While it’s important to prevent traumatic brain injuries from occurring in the first place, it’s also vital that we recognize the potential repercussions and do our best to prevent further harm to the body.
@thumbnail.jpg "Christopher T. Nace")
Both an Emory School of Law graduate and MBA graduate of Goizueta Business School at Emory, Chris Nace focuses his practice on areas of medical malpractice, drug and product liability, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, employment discrimination and other negligence and personal injury matters.
One Comment
Ron Jordan
I suffered a traumatic brain injury @ work, in August 2000, & much later on, learned my employer did not have Worker's Comp Insurance coverage, due to his carrier going bankrupt, & the Dept. of Insurance, f/California, seized, then liquidated the bankrupt Insurance Co,(one of about 20 Insurance Co's that all went bankrupt between 1999-2000). This employer was aware of this situation, so in order to hopefully prevent a WorkComp claim from being submitted, this employer created a situation f/me to work w/another employee, who then attempted to provoke me into a fight, which I wouldn't do, so this employee ended up punching me! This was 1 week after I'd suffered the TBI,(an OSHA unsafe workplace, which was confirmed later), I went home, feeling no indication of any problems. Went to bed, & when I woke up, I had the worst headache of my life, got sick in the shower, then 2 more times on the way to work. When I punched in @ work, I learned it was 3 days later! And, this employer fired me on the spot! I was 45 y/o @ that time, it took 7 yrs to settle my WorkComp case, without an attorney, because none would take my case, so I had to learn about TBI, & WorkComp law @ same time, while noticing almost every body function had begun to slowly malfunction! I "won" my case, after all the exams, tests, evaluations, I was subjected to, had determined I'd had a moderate to serious brain injury, was diagnosed w/PTSD, memory, vision, executive function, cognitive disorder, tinnitus in both ears, balance, coordination, & many other disorders, seizure disorder, plus later I developed psoriatic arthritis, circulatory problems in both legs & feet, ulcers on both feet, issues w/DVT & possibility of PE, then in February 2017, I fell @ home, after losing my balance suddenly, rupturing Quadriceps Tendon in right knee, along w/torn lateral meniscus, broken fibula, fractured patella, in right knee, plus unknown damage to left knee, leaving me unable to stand or walk! Yet, from 2007, when I was declared permanently & totally disabled by State's WorkComp Appeals Board, I have received absolutely ZERO medical care, rehab, for not only the TBI, & associated disorders, but my knees have not been allowed to be surgically repaired, but, I haven't been allowed in-home caregiver service, which I've had to pay myself, the State, & it's Insurance Guarantee Association,(CIGA), along w/it's 3rd party administrators, have went out of their way to prevent me from receiving ANY services to allow me to do anything, except slowly deteriorate! I've read about how different types of brain cells are damaged from a brain injury, I've become very aware of how serious this issue of ongoing problems years after the initial injury, is. By reading about it, but even worse, because I'm LIVING IT!! Yet, I have no recourse, to fight the State, & it's completely ridiculous WorkComp system, which has been "reformed" several times during my 18 years of dealing with TBI, with the only people who benefit from these reforms, are the Insurance industry, & the politicians they basically put into office, in order to do their bidding! The excuses for why my injuries are denied treatment, are an insult to not only my intelligence, but to every other injured worker, along with those who suffer TBI due to any other means! Thanks for the article that again proves that brain injuries aren't something to ignore, & the funds to continue research needs to be increased, to help us who have to live with this condition, have a chance to live our lives as "normal" as possible, not swept aside to assisted living, & forgotten.
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