Monthly Archives: February 2010
Hormone problems after traumatic brain injury
Hormonal problems caused by damage to the pituitary gland are considered common in traumatic brain injury. However, reports of rates of pituitary gland impairment after traumatic brain injury have varied from 15-90%. Researchers from the Netherlands recently suggested that this variation could be due to differences in diagnostic criteria, in the type of tests given, in the severity of the injury, or even in the time of day the test is given. They reviewed data from 931 patients to determine what exactly created such discrepancies.
Hearing loss prevalent in traumatic head injury
Hearing loss in head injury poses a difficult problem—patients are sometimes unaware of their hearing problems because of cognitive impairment, and others may mistake their hearing loss as a memory or communication problem. It has long been known that hearing loss is common in head injury, and yet it is not always properly diagnosed.
Aggression in TBI not associated with substance abuse or a history of behavioral problems
Aggressive behavior after traumatic brain injury, whether it comes in the form of physical or verbal expressions, can interfere with family life, rehabilitation, and recovery. Prevention of aggressive behavior after traumatic brain injury is important, and yet how exactly aggressive behavior was related to injury had not previously been explored.
A group of researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine recently reported the prevalence and specific risk indicators of aggression after traumatic brain injury. The following summarizes their results:
- Verbal aggression was quite prevalent after traumatic brain injury, but physical aggression was nearly absent.
- Aggression was associated with:
- Impaired psychosocial functioning
- New-onset major depression
- Increased dependence in daily living activities
- Major depression that occurred before injury was not a predictor of aggression.
- Aggression was not associated with pre-injury behavior problems, substance abuse, legal charges, or neuropsychological tests.
These associations mean that aggression after traumatic brain injury could potentially be addressed by alternative methods, such as providing stronger social connections, increased independence in daily living, or direct treatments of depression. Additionally, their research dissociated the social or pre-injury factors commonly thought to magnify aggressive behavior.
Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, et al. Aggression after traumatic brain injury: Prevalence and correlates. Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. (Fall 2009).
Forgetting to remember: Prospective memory and TBI
Whether you promise to pick up milk after work, or you make doctor’s appointment for the next day, a little post-it note forms in your mind to remind you of the task. And hopefully, that post-it note will signal you to remember that task at the right time. This process of remembering to remember is called prospective memory. And it’s commonly impaired in people with traumatic brain injury.
Prospective memory impairment in mild traumatic brain injury has only recently been studied. The Journal of Neurotrauma published a study that suggests that people with mild traumatic brain injury show immediate problems with prospective memory, which persist even after 3 months.
Prospective memory is based on a complex system of cognitive process: intention, initiation, attention, appropriate sense of time, and proper recall of events. Given this complexity, prospective memory impairment (or forgetting to remember) can also be an indicator of general cognitive impairment in mild traumatic brain injury. The authors of the study suggest that prospective memory assessments, such as the Memory for Intentions Screening Test, could be used as a sensitive tool for diagnosing cognitive impairment in mild traumatic brain injury.
Tay SY, Ang BT, Lau, XY, et al. Chronic impairment of prospective memory after mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma. (January 2010).
NFL football player with spinal cord injury recovers with hypothermia
Complete spinal cord injuries do not often occur in professional sports, but they can produce devastating results when they do. Although the primary injury is serious, a substantial amount of damage occurs during the secondary response to the injury. Much research has focused on reducing this secondary response, by slowing inflammation, cell death, or bleeding.
Injury to the thalamus and its connections related to cognitive deficits.
Approximately the size and shape of a big egg, the thalamus is located deep and somewhat center in the brain. Thick projections of white matter connect the thalamus to other areas of the brain, which is why the thalamus to often referred to as a “relay system” of the brain, or in simpler terms, “Grand Central Station.”
Changes in residence after traumatic brain injury
A change in residence also represents dramatic financial, social, and emotional changes in the lives of survivors of traumatic brain injury. The long-term effects of residence changes had not been previously been examined, but was important in order to properly anticipate the evolving needs of patients and families. A collaborative effort of researchers in the United States recently analyzed these long-term changes. The following summarizes their results.
Carbon monoxide poisoning after hurricanes
Power outages can continue for several days after a disastrous storm. Many people who live in hurricane-prone areas prepare their household by keeping a portable generator on hand to maintain refrigeration and air temperature, or for powering electronic or entertainment devices. However, improper use of these generators can lead to an increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Sudden cardiac death and stroke in TBI patients taking antipsychotics
It is generally acknowledged that antipsychotic drugs can slow cognitive and motor recovery in patients with traumatic brain injury. Recent studies have shown that antipsychotic use is also associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death and stroke.
The effect of motorcycle helmet laws on brain injury and fatality
In 1997, Texas implemented a law that made motorcycle helmets optional for motorcycle operators and passengers (age 21 or older). Past research, however, has consistently shown that wearing a protective helmet during a motorcycle accident increases survival rates and decreases the chance of brain injury and fatality.
