Introduction to Brain Injury Program Recap

Thank you to Kim Myers from the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey for sharing some important information regarding brain injury.  According to the CDC, 5.3 million Americans are living with a disability as a result of a traumatic brain injury.  Brain injuries are a silent epidemic, with many people unaware that they even suffered a potential brain injury.  Because brain injuries can affect each person differently, it is important to familiar ourselves with the ins and outs of brain injuries, including types, symptoms, effects, treatments, and coping strategies.  So let’s jump in and better our brain!

What is a Brain Injury?

The brain is the most important organ in our body as it controls absolutely everything that we do.  And like every other organ, it is susceptible to being damaged.  A brain injury is defined as an injury to brain that occurs after birth that is not congenital, degenerative (Alzheimer’s, dementia), hereditary, or induced by birth trauma.  Brain injuries can present themselves in many different ways since there are different parts of our brain that control different functions.

There are two types of brain injuries:

1. Acquired (ABI) – an injury to the brain that occurred after birth caused by something internal, such as a stroke, brain tumor, aneurism, seizure, infection, etc.
2. Traumatic (TBI) – an injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, such as motor vehicle crash, fall, assault, sports injury, workplace injury, etc.  In many instances, the result of a TBI is a concussion and most of the time, these injuries are mild.

The severity of a brain can vary wildly, but there are generally 3 categories:

1. Mild – Manifestations can include loss of consciousness up to 30 minutes, confusion, vomiting dizziness/headache, memory loss, or fatigue.  Results of the injury will not appear on any imaging scans.
2. Moderate – Generally, there are signs of brain trauma through imaging scans.  There may be contusions or bleeding on/within the brain and someone may be unconscious for up to 24 hours.  Damage can be permanent.
3. Severe – Victims are generally unconscious for more than 24 hours and signs of the injury will appear on neuroimaging tests.  In some instances, the person will experience most-traumatic confusion or amnesia.

Cause and Effect

There are so many different causes for brain injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries, which contributes greatly to the underreporting of those injuries and failure to seek medical help.  The leading causes of traumatic brain injuries, in order, are:

1. Falls, especially among the elderly
2. Motor vehicle crashes
3. Assaults
4. Unintentionally being struck by or against an object.

In many instances, we have no control over the cause of the brain injury and the same can be said of the effect it will have on our brain.  Each person is different and brain injury will affect each person differently, which makes it much harder to diagnose and treat.  The effects of brain injuries are separated into 3 distinct categories, with a wide-variety of manifestations:

1. Physical Changes – these can include:
   • Loss or change in taste, smell, or hearing
   • Visual problems
   • Fatigue, loss of balance/coordination, and issues with motor control
   • Sleep disturbances, headaches, and slurred speech
   • Seizures
   • Decreased tolerance to drugs or alcohol
2. Cognitive Changes – these can include:
   • Memory loss (temporary or permanent)
   • Impaired reasoning or issues processing/understanding information
   • Issues with planning/organization or completing tasks
   • Communication, attention span, or diminished insight and empathy
3. Emotional/Behavioral Changes – these can include:
   • impulsivity, irritability, or aggressive behaviors
   • Emotional lability or decreased frustration tolerance
   • Anxiety or depression
   • Personality or sexual drive

Treatment, Consequences, and Strategies

Treating a brain injury and its lingering affects can be just as varied as the causes and manifestations.  In addition, the injury severity doesn’t necessarily determine what the symptoms or outcomes will be.  In some instances, things might not return to the way they were before, forcing individuals to readjust their entire lives to live with the aftermath.  Physical or occupational therapy might be needed to learn important life skills, like walking, talking, eating, or performing simple functions.  Surgery may be needed, which can lead to other potential complications.

There can be many long-term consequence of a brain injury that may affect any or all aspects of someone’s life, including family/social life, vocational or schooling, finances, housing, recreational activities, and transportation.  Readjusting to new daily routines may require help from a caregiver, written reminders, alarms, labelling objects, and many other alterations to achieve a modicum of independence.

Some consequences are less easily manifested, resulting in inter/intra-personal difficulties.  Loss of self-esteem or a shaken sense of self can lead to difficulties in establishing or maintaining relationships.  Depression and frustration can lead to drug/alcohol abuse.  Treating the psychosocial consequences can require intense and long-term psychological counseling.

So what can we do to help others who may be living with a brain injury?  The most important strategy would be to become more knowledgeable about brain injuries and the resources available for them.  When interacting with individuals suffering from a brain injury, be sure to offer understanding and support.  When available, try to provide appropriate assistance and accommodations.  When all else fails, there are some simple, basic things we can all do:

• speak slowly
• be concrete and break information into smaller pieces
• encourage visual reminders and checklists
• repeat information

More Information

For those looking for more information about brain injuries or helping those suffering from a brain injury, please check out the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey.  For specific questions, you can contact Kim Myers at kmyers@bianj.org.  You can view a recording of this webinar on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/CoHtV8oVopo.  Also, you can download any of documents shared in the webinar from the links below:

• Presentation Slides
• Support Services Card
• Support Group Flyer