prabhuBrain injuries are amongst the most impactful injuries we can experience as humans. The complexity and centrality of the brain can make even the most innocuous of head injuries a potentially life-altering event, with far-reaching consequences for both the individual and their family.
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), over a million people attend emergency departments for head injuries each and every year, the majority of which result in no ongoing medical interventions – but for an unlucky 40,000, evidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be found. There are many impacts associated with TBIs, from the physical to the psychological, but one connection in particular is a troubling one: that of TBIs and dementia.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Its Immediate Effects
First, it is important to understand what we mean by TBI. TBIs are brain injuries caused by physical trauma of some kind, be it the striking of the skull, the striking of the brain against the skull or the infiltration of the skull by an implement. The most common causes of TBIs are from slips, trips or falls, with a high concentration of TBIs linked to contact sports.
The immediate impacts of a TBI are somewhat alike from injury to injury, with confusion and headaches being common symptoms. However, in the medium term, different symptoms can present, indicating damage to different areas of the brain.
Linking Brain Injury to Dementia
It is these differences which inform the likely long-term impacts of a given TBI, with some leading to physical disability and others leading to mental disability. Sustained trauma to the head, for example, can lead to the onset of chronic traumatic encephalopathy – a progressive, degenerative brain condition which results in the development of dementia. Singular TBIs have also been linked to the onset of dementia, with patient age and condition having some impacts on the likelihood of dementia developing.
Prevention and Management
Preventing the onset of dementia is nigh-impossible, given that we are still in our relative infancy when it coms to understanding the condition and its triggers. Preventing brain injury is similarly difficult, given that accidents do happen and we cannot predict them. Habitual changes, such as wearing helmets in contact sports or using walking aids as an elderly person, can reduce the risk.
In the event of a brain injury, there may be opportunity for civil recourse; brain injury claims can yield compensation enough to invest in symptom management and accessibility options. Where dementia is a potential condition for an individual, compensation money would be well-placed in 24-hour care, or regular visitation from nurses. The sooner a brain injury is caught, the less likely it is to have such long-term impacts – but preparing for these scenarios can be key for comfort in later life.
