Focal cortical injury and diffuse axonal injury (DAI) are two important mechanisms in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Focal brain injuries are often associated with an injury in which the head is struck by an object or strikes a hard surface, and bleeding in the brain leads to regional damage. Diffuse brain injuries are often found in acceleration or deceleration injuries that result in diffuse lesions in the brain. It is common for both focal and diffuse brain damage to occur as the result of the same injury event, and many TBIs have aspects of both focal and diffuse injury. DAI may be more ubiquitous and may account for a greater share of disability. DAI often exhibits no obvious focal anatomical lesions, but may cause microscopic damage to neurons, supportive tissue, and axons, resulting in diffuse axonal shearing and cellular dysfunction. Receiving immediate care is essential to correct diagnosis and maximal recovery.

The diminished connectivity related to diffuse axonal injury may act to decrease neuronal activity in several brain areas, leading to widely separated areas of hypofunction. Cognitive impairments in traumatic brain injury may be a result of functional or anatomical disconnection between the cerebral cortex and deeper brain regions. Both functional imaging (PET, SPECT, and fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may provide an advantage over conventional structural neuroimaging (CT and MRI). These techniques may be more sensitive in detecting both focal injury and the indirect effects of DAI on cortical activity.  CT and MRI scans may be the conventional methods, but with advancing technology, it is important to ensure that patients are receiving the best care for their injuries. Financial burden is something that every patient is forced to endure. Let an experienced injury lawyer help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of sustained physical, emotional, and behavioral deficits, commonly due to motor vehicle accidents, falls, workplace accidents, and medical errors. The Centers for Disease Control report that an estimated 5.3 million Americans live with disabilities associated with a TBI. The pathophysiology of TBI is not completely understood. Current neuroimaging techniques have limited sensitivity to detect physiological alterations caused by TBI. Mild, and some moderate, TBI can be difficult to diagnose because the injuries are often not visible on conventional acute MRI or CT scanning.

Approximately 70% of patients with TBI do not show visible lesions using conventional MRI or CT techniques. The absence of abnormality on conventional neuroimaging techniques in the majority of mild TBI patients, even with post-concussive symptoms and cognitive and/or behavioral deficits, illustrates the limited prognostic value of conventional neuroimaging techniques as well. Alternative methods that can be used to show the true extent of a TBI include Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), functional MRI (fMRI), and magnetoencephalography (MEG). These advanced imaging techniques are available, but sometimes come at a higher price and often are not covered by insurance companies. However, improper diagnosis may limit a patient’s care and recovery from injury. With the help of an experienced injury attorney, it is crucial to obtain the financial compensation deserved, in order to receive the best in care.

Axonal injuries, a major factor for the cognitive and behavioral deficits in TBI patients, are commonly induced by sudden acceleration-deceleration and/or rotational forces. The subsequent tissue injury is characterized by axonal stretching, disruption, and eventual separation of nerve fibers. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), an imaging technique based on the Brownian motion of water through tissues, measures the dependence of water diffusivity on tissue microstructure. Unlike conventional MRI, which is primarily sensitive to bleeding from nearby torn capillaries, but not to axonal damage itself, DTI provides a more direct measure of the integrity of the white matter fibers. It is suggested that axonal injury due to tissue shearing and stretching is a leading cause of persistent post-concussive symptoms in mTBI. The bleeding is only indirectly related to the axonal injury, and the sensitivity for detecting bleeding decreases quickly over time— approximately 2 weeks. Time is of the essence to ensure maximal recovery. In several research studies, DTI has been successfully applied in TBI cases. It is important to be educated about all of the options available for diagnosis and care. Contacting a personal injury lawyer early can help save you and your family the worry about financial burden, so that you can focus on recovering your health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 1.7 million people each year sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 75% of these injuries are concussions or other mild forms of TBI. What seems like a mild concussion can be extremely dangerous. Common signs of a concussion include a vacant stare, delayed responses to questions, disorientation, slurred speech, lack of coordination and poor short-term memory. Symptoms might last anywhere from 15 minutes to several days. It is important to recognize the symptoms and take appropriate action. Studies have shown that anyone that has had one concussion is likely to have another. If you receive a second concussion before your brain has fully healed from the first, the results can be devastating. Coma, or even death, is possible. An injury lawyer like Crosley Law Firm can help ensure that anyone injured receives the appropriate care during the most critical time.

For any injury, patients should be allowed a sufficient healing period before resuming normal activities. In more severe cases, appropriate medications may be necessary for maximal recovery. Corticosteroids have been used for over 30 years to treat severe head injuries. Physicians believe that they work to reduce swelling and reduce both brain damage and death. In one of the largest studies ever conducted around the world, researchers showed that individuals treated with steroids, specifically methylprednisolone, were 18% more likely to die within 2 weeks of their brain injury. If you have been given steroids for any type of traumatic brain injury, you need to contact a personal injury attorney in San Antonio. They can help you receive compensation and fight for the proper care now.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with an increase in the relative risk of developing a variety of psychiatric disorders, particularly depression and cognitive impairment.  The most important initial step is accurate diagnosis, which can be challenging in cases of mild TBI.  Although depression occurs most often in the first year after TBI, the risk of developing depression remains elevated for decades thereafter.  Early posttraumatic depression may be more strongly related to a host-injury interaction, whereas late posttraumatic depression may be more strongly influenced by psychological and psychosocial factors.  In either case, it is essential to address the issue.

Depression after mild TBI is associated with increases in the number and perceived severity of other post-concussive symptoms, including headache, dizziness, and blurred vision.  Depression also increases anger, aggression, the risk of suicide, and cognitive dysfunction.  When there are sufficient symptoms to merit a diagnosis of depression, regardless of their possible causes, treatment should be initiated.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally regarded as the first-line agents for the treatment of depression following TBI.  Obtaining the medical care to determine the type of intervention necessary can be financially stressful.  A San Antonio personal injury attorney can work to obtain the monetary compensation you deserve.

Spouses, families, and caregivers of persons with TBI frequently require psychotherapeutic intervention to aid them in maintaining both their own psychological health and that of their injured family member.  Cognitive rehabilitation, usually provided by an occupational therapist, speech therapist, or neuropsychologist, is most useful for the development of compensatory strategies to address difficulties with memory, attention, interpersonal communication skills, and executive function.  Many of those affected by TBI will not receive this type of intervention due to the lack of insurance coverage or financial ability.  An experienced San Antonio law firm can help you understand your rights.  This is the first step in achieving an improved quality of life for persons with TBI and their families.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common occurrence with multiple neuropsychiatric sequelae, including problems with cognition, emotion, and behavior. While many individuals experience significant improvement over the first months following mild TBI, a nontrivial minority will develop persistent, function-impairing post-TBI symptoms. Depression and cognitive impairment are among the most common of such symptoms, and they may respond to a combination of rehabilitative and pharmacologic treatments.  These treatments can be costly, but a San Antonio personal injury lawyer can help you obtain the deserved financial compensation you need to get the necessary treatment.  It is important to ensure that you receive this care during the crucial time period for maximal recovery.

Each year in the U.S., between one and two million people sustain a traumatic brain injury, some 80% of which are mild. Post-TBI neuropsychiatric impairments become a chronic problem for an estimated 3.17 million Americans. These may include cognitive, emotional, behavioral, physical, and psychosocial problems. Although many people with mild TBI do not go to a hospital at the time of injury, for those that do, emergency room records fail to document TBI in well over 50% of cases meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition for mild TBI. This may be due to several reasons, but the most common reason is normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A normal MRI of the brain after mild TBI does not suggest the absence of injury but instead indicates only that any changes in the brain caused by the TBI are below the detection threshold of conventional clinical MRI. Contrast MRIs that may be more successful at finding abnormalities are available but come at a higher price, a price that many insurance companies will not pay. Contacting a San Antonio injury lawyer early on can help ensure that you are able to afford all of the appropriate care during such a crucial time in your recovery.

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