Depictions of head-injury patients in movies and television almost always show the patient experiencing some type of amnesia, or memory loss. Indeed, memory loss is the most common cognitive side effect of a severe traumatic brain injury. In patients with a milder TBI, memory loss is still one of the most common symptoms. And the more severe the patient's memory loss is, the more severe the brain damage is likely to be.
Temporary Memory Loss and TBI
Some traumatic brain injury-related amnesia is temporary; such patients are usually unable to recall what happened directly before, during and after their accidents. This is often caused by edema, or a swelling of the brain in response to the damage it sustained. Parts of the brain that were uninjured in a traumatic brain injury incident may not work because the brain is pressed against the skull. Often, the victim's memory will return slowly as the brain's swelling decreases. This can occur over a few weeks or even take as much as several years. Memory loss, specifically temporary memory loss, can be just an emotional side affect of the TBI, which is usually stress related caused by the trauma of the injury.
Other, less common, types of memory loss stemming from traumatic brain injury are fixed. This is the outcome of nerves and the connections between the nerves, also called axons, being damaged. Brain injuries are often more traumatic than a regular injury as a brain cannot heal itself as other body parts, therefore, traumatic brain injuries can cause permanent damage. Fixed amnesia may include inability to remember events before the injury, or loss of memory of the meanings of certain things, such as words or smells or objects. Less commonly, a person may not remember skills he or she had before the TBI.
Brain Damage and Anteretrograde Amnesia
A patient with TBI may also develop anteretrograde amnesia -- an inability to form memories of events that happened after the injury. These reasons are not understood but a recent study by the researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in October 2006 suggests that a traumatic brain injury decreases protein levels in the brain, which normally balances the activity. Without enough of that protein, the brain can "overload," the researchers said, interfering with memory formation, particularly the ability to learn new things.
Treatment Options for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients with Amnesia
There is no treatment for memory loss caused by a traumatic brain injury; memory loss can take a long time to return and in some cases, if it does not return, can be lost entirely. However, a September 2006 study published in Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, showed promising results in TBI patients with anteretrograde memory loss who took the drug rivastigmine. The drug, which is sold to Alzheimer's disease patients under the brand name Exelon, helped patients with moderate to severe memory loss score better on memory tests than another group of patients that took placebos. The results were not as good for patients who had only mild memory loss. Victims of traumatic brain injury memory loss would be advised to seek out a law firm specializing in traumatic brain injuries in order to receive the best possible outcome, which may include a lawsuit to regain compensation for lost medical costs.
Traumatic brain injury has been deemed the signature wound of the war in Iraq among Americans and now, new research has surfaced, which states that U.S. soldier helmets may actually be increasing the severity of a TBI following an IED blast. IED's are improvised explosive devices that have caused many American soldier injuries.
The study was actually to test the potential implementation of sensors on helmets so that care from medical professional could better administered.
However, what scientists ended up finding was that following an IED explosion "shockwaves from a blast hits a helmeted head, and can penetrate the gap between the helmet and head, travel up inside the helmet, and come down on the side of the head facing away from the explosion." This would mean that due to the design of U.S. helmets, more soldiers are suffering from stronger blasts during explosions and increasing their risk of TBI.
While researchers are claiming that the redistribution of the blast pressure and the physics surrounding the new discovery may not be accurate, it would explain why TBI has become so prevalent among U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2005 that "helmets cannot completely protect the face, head and neck, nor do they prevent the kind of closed brain injuries often produced by blasts." Because of this and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) research revealed earlier this year, it may be time for a redesign of helmets among soldiers.
Brain Injury and U.S. Soldiers
According to various news reports and physician statements, both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are "signature wounds" of the war in Iraq among American soldiers. With faulty helmet equipment now a potential risk factor, it may be necessary for a victim to obtain legal assistance regarding the development of a traumatic brain injury lawsuit.
A USA Today news article reported the results of a February 2008 Army health report which found that approximately 11 percent of 2,195 soldiers "showed signs of mild brain injury, but fewer than half were actually identified and evaluated in the field".
Additionally, in an article from the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, it was reported that "TBI appears to account for a larger proportion of casualties than it has in other recent U.S. wars." Many researchers and scientists believe inadequate protective gear and an increased number of IEDs may be to blame.
Caring For TBI Victims
It can be difficult for friends and family to provide adequate care for a veteran returning from the war in Iraq because of the extensive damage that may have been incurred by a traumatic brain injury victim. However, a bill is currently circulating within the U.S. House that would potentially provide monetary assistance for Iraq veterans and caretakers who often cannot afford in-home nurses and must work full time to care for an injured soldier.
In addition, victims of TBI may also need to develop litigation that will reward them with the monetary compensation necessary for paying for treatments as well as care, so the burden is not falling solely on family and friends. To learn more about the potential for a traumatic brain injury lawsuit individuals can locate a knowledgeable TBI attorney who will likely offer a free legal consultation as to the details and the development of such litigation.
Both Alan Haburchak & Peter Kent are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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