What Are the Symptoms of Brain Injury?

What is Brain Injury?

Brain injury is a deterioration of the cells inside the brain. There are two distinct types of brain injury that can cause the symptoms. These are Traumatic Brain Injury and Acquired Brain injury. The former is caused by an external force – such as concussion – which causes the brain to bruise against the wall of the cranium. The latter is more commonly associated with pressure on the brain. This could come in the form of a tumor or a stroke. Often, the two terms are used interchangeably.

But What Are the Symptoms?

Moderate and severe instances of TBI are easier to diagnose. Problematically, mild cases often go unnoticed as symptoms scale with the severity of injury. With ABI it is difficult to judge the severity of damage caused as a judgement is made post damage. With TBI, we are able to judge the severity using a time-scale of unconsciousness after an impact.

The Glasgow Coma Scale

                        GCS                                         PTA                                          LOC

Mild                13-15                                       less than one day                    0-30 mins

Moderate       9-12                                         1 to 7 days                              30 mins to 24 hours

Severe             3-8                                           more than 7days                    more than 24 hours

Where GCS = verbal rating after damage, PTA = how long post-trauma amnesia lasts, and LOC = period in which the victim is unconscious.

From here, let’s walk through the main symptoms we can look out for. There are two prominent behavioural symptoms that can manifest after a brain injury: emotional and memory.

Emotional Behaviour

Brain injury is associated with a number of emotional challenges such as depression, self-control, anger management. Victims can also find themselves struggling in social situations where they did not before, that is, they may have lower levels of self esteem and anxiety. These psychological manifestations can lead to isolation, a reduced ability to function in society, martial difficulties, and keeping his or her job.

Memory

The most common post-brain-trauma experience is a loss of memory, or at the very least, a reduced capacity for memory. As memory is intrinsically linked to attention, it can be difficult to diagnose the symptom as physicians need to be careful to distinguish between memory loss and poor attention. Almost all cases of brain trauma come with a reduced memory capacity compared to people who have not experienced brain trauma; and, although patients usually experience significant recovery during the initial recovery phase, there is often an element of permanent damage.

There is a myriad of ways of dealing with this patterned change of behaviour, but it is best to contact your physician to ensure a bespoke plan that will deal with your specific case. Brain injury recovery plans are not one-glove-fits-all. The brain is a complex organism, and no two people can be expected to experience the same difficulties. As it controls every aspect of human life, when it is damaged any part of a human life could be affected.

If you would like a plan on how to deal with a recent brain injury, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

Brain Injury - The Healing Process

Brain Injury has a traumatic effect on not the only the victim, but also the victim’s family. Often, cognitive, behavioural, and emotional changes can be difficult to witness - especially as victims tend to be in a state of denial about their injury. You may feel as though the person you knew has been replaced by someone else. But rest assured, you can help a loved one fight back against brain injury by having an understanding on how their symptoms work and having a structured method of reclaiming their life. This week, we will look at dealing with the life transition after someone you know suffers from brain injury.

Please remember to create a bespoke plan of action to ensure your loved one receives optimal help. As brain injury is an umbrella term, it is important you know how much to focus on distinct aspects of rehabilitation. Please consult your physician for guidance.

After brain injury, the victim’s lack of control over their mood and behaviour is a common consequence of any serious brain injury. Frequent and notable behavioural changes are anxiety and depression, but also extend to poor behaviour and a loss of memory. Their behaviour may drastically change after suffering, and depending on the severity of damage – they may never be the same again. It may be necessary to see a psychiatrist if depression or anxiety gets out of hand, and ensure they are in an appropriate support group.

Some victim’s behaviour can be unrecognizable – and they may begin acting up and misbehaving. The most effective ways of dealing with bad behaviour is in a firm but fair way. Set limits around their behaviour and how you allow them to treat you.

The first three months are the most essential when recovering from brain injury; and starting early means you can optimize success. During this time ensure you have started all physiotherapy programs, exercises, and seen your occupational therapist. This will aid in regaining communication, social, and personal skills alongside aiding with any emotional struggles you may be experiencing. It can take time adjust to changes – be patient and support each other during the process.

The most effective way of supporting a loved one is to help them form new habits. Depending on the victim’s need, you can help them improve mobility or gain function of certain parts of their body. This type of therapy will allow the patient to reclaim their life in the long term. It is important that you know your limits, and ensure there is a professional program in place. For example, a neurologist can work with your psychiatrist to help improve concentration and mood swings. Your primary doctor will refer you if necessary.

You can also aid in their recovery by encouraging a healthy diet. A healthy body is fertile ground for success, ensure the brain has all the nutrients it needs available to it. You physician will advise you on foods to avoid and alternatives if chewing/shallowing is a problem.

Finally, you can encourage writing things down to encourage neural pathways to heal. In the long-term, this will aid in allowing the victims brain to heal. More importantly, it allows the patient to keep track of calendar appointments, medications, addresses, and an emergency contact number. You could even label things in the patient’s house depending on the severity of damage.

If you would like a plan on how to deal with a recent brain injury, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

How To Cope With Brain Trauma - Introducing Dr Kirk Lercher, MD

Recently, we have given Mount Sinai readers some insights into how brain injury can form, and some basic coping mechanisms to help loved ones along the way to recovery. However, we strongly advise you to seek professional medical attention after experiencing brain injury - you don’t need to go at it alone. Dr Kirk Lercher - our Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai’s Department of Rehabilitative Medicine – is our brain damage specialist; he can help guide you and your loved ones to reclaiming your former life.

Anoxic brain injury is the effect of oxygen starvation to the brain. Brain injury can have different effects on the patient depending on how long the brain went without oxygen. Kirk Lecher has undergone extensive medical training in how the brain functions post-concussion, as such his bespoke advice will help you along any stage of the healing process. Ranging from sports concussions, to spasticity management, and neuropharmacology – Dr Lercher is an expert in tackling brain damage.

Beginning his study at New Jersey Medical School, Kirk Lercher continued into an Internship, then residency at the University Hospital (UMDNJ). He finalized his studies with a fellowship in brain trauma at the Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh.  During this time, Dr Lecher specialized in the research field of brain trauma. His research posited that synchronizing occupational and physical therapy improves recovery outcomes after strokes, and furthermore, that larger doses of therapy are associated with superior outcomes.

His research also states that many patients receive sub optimal care after a concussion and associated brain injuries. His work encourages telecommunication agencies to address the unmet needs and encourages families to seek immediate attention via this medium or directly with their physician. It is because of this that Dr Lercher understands the importance of patient care and relationships. As his research shows that a strong connection between the family of the victim and the physician optimizes recovery, Dr Lercher has incredible client satisfaction ratings with a 4.9/5 average.

Dr Lercher tackles anoxic brain injury using two synchronized methodologies. Dr Lercher himself focuses on in-clinic visits for patients, and advises on tele-rehabilitation. This combinatorial process effects as double the therapy than one would get if they solely saw their physician, or solely used telecommunications.

In practicing fantastic patient care, frequent in-clinic visits, and tele-rehabilitation, Dr Lercher sees fantastic results in patient recovery from brain injuries. His bespoke approach is the optimal support you can provide to a loved one during this difficult period.

If you would like to schedule a visit with Dr Lercher, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

How Can Traumatic Brain Injury Affect Your Life?

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), is the result of an external force, such as a knock to the skull that injures the brain. Brain injury could affect anyone, but people who are in the military, sportspeople, old and young, and people who suffer from strokes are most likely to experience problems. Brain injury has a range of life altering traumatisms from Dementia to Parkinson’s, to loss of memory and facial recognition. Damage will scale will the level of trauma suffered from a knock.

Brain damage (TBI) is a result to a blow to the head. A knock to the head makes the brain move inside and bruise against the skull causing damage to the brain. Depending on the severity of the knock, the patient will experience a range of symptoms as the brain is starved of oxygen for a period of time.

The people most susceptible to TBI are military personnel, high-impact sportspeople, old people who often fall, and 15-24-year-old males, due to the heightened chances of taking a damaging blow to the head. However, it is important to note that anyone could be a victim.

The most common causes of brain injury are car accidents, blows to the head, sports injuries, falls or accidents, and physical violence. As we can see, there is a correlation between the most common causes, and the most vulnerable. For example, studies indicate 15-24-year-old males are the most reckless drivers of all demographics; consequently, they have a higher chance of putting themselves in situations where they could get a brain injury.

Not all impacts are life altering. Light to medium knocks to the head cause confusion, lack of spatial awareness, and sometimes nausea. In both cases, patients usually make a good recovery. With more serious brain injury, people suffer life changing and debilitating problems. Depending on where the damage is localized, the patient will experience different symptoms.

But how can brain injuries affect your life? Brain damage symptoms scale with the severity of impact. More serious ramifications include relearning to walk, loss of personal memories and facial recognition – with patients forgetting who they are. Also, depending on where the damage is localized, patients could lose motor skills or in most severe cases not know how to speak. The more severe the impact, the more severe the consequences.

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms listed, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

Brain Injury – Who and How Does It Affect?

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is indiscriminate in who it impacts. Although this is true, certain people are more vulnerable than others. A person who is more susceptible to taking traumatizing hits to the head is far more likely to have their lives affected by this severe injury. For example, you are more likely to experience this injury if you are a professional boxer than an office manager.

TBI is a head injury that results in the brain moving inside the skull and bruising due to the impact with the cranium. Depending on the severity of the hit, the patient will experience a range of symptoms due to the brain not receiving adequate oxygen. An important note about TBI is that it is always the result of an external force, such as a head trauma that injures the brain. This is opposed to an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), which is the result of pressure to the brain on a gene level, like a stroke.

The most common causes of TBI are car accidents, sports injuries, falls or accidents, and physical violence. The people most susceptible to TBI are military personnel, high-impact sportspeople, an elderly who often falls, and 15-24-year-old males, due to having “high-risk behaviour”. As may be obvious, there is a correlation between the most common causes and the most vulnerable people.

It is not always immediately obvious that there has been serious trauma. Often, in contact sports, people will undergo TBI and not realize it. If you have been concussed, it is important you see a specialist.

Not all impacts are life-altering as some instances of TBI pass away relatively quickly. Light to medium knocks to the head cause confusion, lack of spatial awareness, and sometimes nausea. Patients usually make a speedy recovery. Although the brain has undergone some damage, the symptoms will only be short term. With more serious brain injury, people suffer life-changing and debilitating problems.

Depending on where the damage is localized, the patient could experience different symptoms. Brain damage symptoms scale with the severity of the impact. More serious ramifications include relearning to walk, loss of personal memories and facial recognition – with patients forgetting who they are. The patient may experience extreme emotional states and denial that they are experiencing TFI. Patients could lose motor skills or in most severe cases not know how to speak. The more severe the impact, the more severe the consequences.

If someone you know has been affected by a hard hit to the head and suffered a concussion, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on (212) 241-6321

Why SAD affects us in the winter

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a state of depression that stems from the changing of the season, specifically – the summer to winter. In the winter, the days get shorter, it is cloudy and cold – but SAD isn’t a prophetic fallacy – it’s a physical reaction to a lack of vitamin D. Although there is a myriad of reasons as to how this depressive state can be triggered, none is more widely accepted than the vitamin D deficiency the body undergoes during the winter. A lack of vitamin D will create a chain reaction with other symptoms of SAD, which then feed into other depressive behaviours, in turn worsening the state of affairs. Let’s look at what vitamin D deficiency does to the human body.

Vitamin D, like all vitamins, it is a nutrient we make in our body; and most it comes from the sun. But vitamin D is unique as it is a hormone and not a nutrient like other vitamins. It works with calcium and phosphorus to create and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and teeth. Without enough vitamin D, your body will not be able to absorb calcium and other important nutrients that allow our body to function. In turn, many people with low levels of vitamin D will experience rickets, osteomalacia alongside other muscle and bone deficiencies. This leads us to be being tired, frustrated that our bodies are not functioning as it should be, and possibly lowering our immune system.

Vitamin D also has a role in maintaining stable brain hormones. Serotonin, the hormone associated with happiness, rises with the exposure to bright light – and drops in correlation with decreased sun exposure. As understood by research in medical science, people with lower vitamin D are 11 times more prone to be depressed than those with healthy does. A low level of vitamin D will cause a deficiency in serotonin, causing depressive-like behaviours to occur.

If we amalgamate these two factors, we see instantly that low vitamin D, caused by reduced sun exposure, is responsible for making us tired and unhappy. These physical deprivations feed into mental manifestations of psychological dispositions – such as bipolar – or other types of depression. It also suppresses the immune system, which can have a knock-on effect on making us ill, and then beginning the “cycle of depression”.

If you would like to learn more about how the cycle of depression works, click here.

SAD can have an extremely negative impact on your quality of life. If you need a consultation or are suffering from any of the symptoms outlined at the end of the article, please contact us on (212) 241-6321 to book an appointment.