Question:
I am in search on any type of resource which will aid me in: understanding my father's acquired brain injury thesis work: obtaining a background information pertaining to brain injury rehabilitation with respect to adjustment to disability, relationships and therapeuitc recreation. Any assitance would be appreciated!

Answer: Well, if the brain swells significantly, the connections between the neurons would be ripped apart. If it's prevented from swelling by applying pressure, the pressure would damage the brain. If it were allowed to swell, the physically motion would damage the brain.

If the pressure is due to bleeding or CNF buildup in a localize area, you can relieve the pressure on a certain area of the brain by removing a part of the skull or draining it, but if the swelling is spread over the entire brain and from the brain tissue itself, you're hosed. Although extremely rare, there have been documented cases of dramatic recovery of function months or even years after the injury. Despite this, until a year or two ago, I would have agreed that the chances of that occuring were remote enough that an individual (or a family member, acting as a surrogate*) should definitely be allowed to decide to forego feedings or other invasive interventions to keep him/her alive, and die. Advances in medicine, now, though offer a glimmer of hope that neural stem cells can be obtained from such an individual, grown in vitro with appropriate growth and differentiation factors, and ultimately placed in the brain allowing for recovery of function. This is still pie-in-the-sky, but is rapidly becoming more realistic. No one has any idea whether people with longstanding brain injuries will be able to benefit from this, but at this point, this possibility should be discussed with those trying to make these decisions.