Even Mild TBI Can Cause Lasting Damage
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Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) July 28, 2014 – A new study indicates that even mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) may result in cognitive problems and lasting brain damage.
While severe TBI has been studied extensively, the newest study, published in the journal Neurology,focused on the mild to moderate cases that represent 90 per
cent of brain injuries. Researchers found that patients with mild and moderate brain injuries showed damage to the brain’s white matter, which connects different areas of the brain and can affect a wide range of functions.
“This research is an indication that what we think of as mild brain injuries can actually be far more serious,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa attorney who represents brain injury victims. “The brain is a very complex organ, and the extent of injuries is not always immediately obvious.”
The Newcastle University researchers used a method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to identify patients wit
h brain damage after an injury. The technique is used on a routine basis in cases of severe trauma or stroke. DTI images show the health of brain tissue
through variations in brightness and contrast. Damage to the normally orderly structure of the brain’s white matter was shown in the brain injury patients.
The patients with mild to moderate brain injuries also scored an average of 25 percent lower than a control group on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC) test. The GSC test measures the responsiveness of patients in the areas of general movement, eye movement and verbal activity. Researchers said that patients with mild brain injuries may be suffering from cognitive difficulties of which they are not even aware.
