New research has shed light on some of the mysteries surrounding the dramatic and lasting effects traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have on patients, many months after the initial injury. According to research performed at the University of Melbourne in Australia, TBI continues to affect the brain for many weeks after the original trauma.
Through the use of MRI and PET scans on laboratory animals, researchers have shown that TBI injuries continue to unfold much longer than previously believed. In fact, areas of the brain that were not injured initially show signs of injury after many months according to the study. These areas of the brain were shown unaffected during initial testing, but had damage on later scans. The good news about the research is the potential for earlier interventions that can prevent some of the delayed damage. According to researcher Professor Terry O'Brien, "this opens up a window of opportunity to give treatments and halt the damage and therefore reduce the long-term neurological and psychiatric complications that many patients experience." Other neurological diseases, such as stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis may potentially be affected by this research.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that seems to be the most affected by these delayed symptoms. The hippocampus is the center of the brain that controls emotional response, long-term memory, and spatial concepts. This new research may shed light on the reasons why traumatic brain injury patients often experience latent psychiatric symptoms like anxiety and depression, as well as memory problems, and neurological issues.
Traumatic brain injury is often caused by automobile accidents, sports injuries, and slips and falls. If you or a loved one has been injured from the negligence of another person, you may have questions about your rights.
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