Traumatic Brain Injury

TBI

Traumatic Brain injury:

TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) is an
injury to brain tissue caused by an
external physical force or by internal
damage such as anoxia (lack of
oxygen), bleeding inside the skull or
tumor.

TBI may produce a diminished or

altered state of consciousness, which
results in impairment of cognitive
(thinking) abilities and physical
functioning. These impairments may
be either temporary or permanent. The
injury may cause partial or total
functional disability or psychosocial
maladjustment.

Types of TBIs

Closed Head Injury-the skull is intact and there is no penetration of the skull. Direct or indirect force to the head
can cause this type of injury. This may be caused by rotational and/or deceleration in the case of both direct and
indirect force.

Open Head Injury- penetration of the skull with direct injury to the head.

Diffuse Axonal Injury- diffuse cellular injury to the brain from rapid rotational movement. This is often seen in
motor vehicle accidents or shaking injuries. The axons are the projections of the brains nerve cells that attach to
other nerve cells. They are damaged or torn by the rapid deceleration. The injury is from the shearing force
disrupting the axonswhich composethe white matter of the brain.

Contusion- a bruise to a part of the brain. Like a bruise on the body, this is bleeding into the tissue.

Penetrating Trauma-any object that enters the brain. Causes direct injury by impact and pushing skull
fragments into the brain.

Secondary Injury- swelling and release of chemicals that promote inflammation and cell injury or death. This
causes swelling in the brain which may increase the intracranial pressure and prevent the cerebrospinal fluid from
draining out of the skull. This causes further increase in pressure and brain damage. If this is not controlled or
prevented the brain can herniate (push through) the base of the skull and cause respiratory failure and death. The
only way to prevent the primary injury is to prevent the trauma. The prevention of this secondary injury is the
focus of the acute medical care after injury.

Acquired Brain Injury

Mild TBI injury is:

Most prevalent TBI
Often missed at time of initial injury
15% of people with mile TBI have symptoms that
last one year or more.
Defined as the result of the forceful motion of
the head or impact causing a brief change in
mental status (confusion, disorientation or loss
of memory) or loss of consciousness for less than
30 minutes.
Post injury symptoms are often referred to as
post concussive syndrome.

Common Symptoms of Mild TBI

Fatigue
Headaches
Visual disturbances
Memory loss
Poor attention/concentration
Sleep disturbances
Dizziness/loss of balance
Irritability-emotional disturbances / Mood swings
Feelings of depression
Seizures

Frustration.

Other Symptoms Associated

with Mild TBI

Nausea
Loss of smell
Sensitivity to light and sounds
Mood changes
Getting lost or confused

Slowness in thinking

Hyperbaric Chamber

Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy
Your body's tissues
need an adequate
supply of oxygen to function. When tissue
is injured, it requires even more oxygen to
survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
increases the amount of oxygen your
blood can carry. An increase in blood
oxygen temporarily restores normal levels
of blood gases and tissue function to
promote healing and fight infection.
http://youtu.be/IJTq_8AGJsk

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat several medical

conditions. And medical institutions use it in different ways.
Your doctor may suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy if you
have one of the following conditions:

Anemia, severe

Brain abscess

Bubbles of air in your blood vessels (arterial gas embolism)

Burn

Decompression sickness

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Crushing injury

Deafness, sudden

Gangrene

Infection of skin or bone that causes tissue death

Nonhealing wounds, such as a diabetic foot ulcer

Radiation injury

Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue death

Vision loss, sudden and painless

The evidence is insufficient to support claims that

hyperbaric oxygen therapy can effectively treat the
following conditions:

AIDS/HIV

Allergies

Alzheimer's disease

Arthritis

Asthma

Autism

Bell's palsy

Brain injury

Cancer

Cerebral palsy

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Cirrhosis

Depression

Fibromyalgia

Gastrointestinal ulcers

Heart disease

Heatstroke

Hepatitis

Migraine

Multiple sclerosis

Parkinson's disease

Spinal cord injury

Sports injury

Stroke

At age 24, Heather was working as a dancer and singer for Universal Studio in Osaka
when she was hit by a taxi when cycling. She was transported back to Vancouver and
was in a coma for over 2 months. She started HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) 1
yr after the accident. Heather has had 60 hyperbaric oxygen treatments in 2 yrs, and
has regained most of her functions.

http://youtu.be/tbkCEU15hpI

Seventeen-year-old Curt Allen, Jr. was involved in a high speed motor vehicle accident

http://youtu.be/erXi23AC3k8

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/03/31/veterans-with-brain-injuries-turning-to-unapp
roved-treatment
/

References

Early, M. (2013). Traumatic Brain Injury. In Physical dysfunction practice skills for the
occupational therapy

assistant (3rd ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Mosby.

http
://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/03/31/veterans-with-brain-injuries-turning-tounapproved
-treatment/

http://www.hyperbaricexperts.com/neurological- disorders.html

http://www.hyperbariclink.com/diseases-and-conditions/traumatic-brain -

injury.aspx#.VM0IWUvZf1r

http://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/pediatricrehab/symptoms-condi
tions/Pages
/traumatic-brain-injury.aspx

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/basi
cs/why-its