Just as all individuals are different, all brain injuries are unique. The brain can recieve several different types of injuries depending on the type of forve and the amoint of force that impacts the head. There are many terms used to describe types of brain injuries, severity of brain injuries, and cause of brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also called acquired brain injury or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury. Primary concerns include insuring proper oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body, maintaining adequate blood flow, and controlling blood pressure. Imaging tests help in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of a TBI patient. Patients with mild to moderate injuries may receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. For moderate to severe cases, the imaging test is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.

---------- Q: I was watching a program on TLC last night, and a young man suffered a devestating brain injury. The way the doctors explained it, his brain was swelling but there was nothing they could do to alleviate it. They said operating wouldn't help, because there was nothing they could remove.

My question is, didn't ancient people know enough to make a hole in the skull to allow the brain somewhere to swell to? Couldn't they just keep him in a sterile environment, and take off the top of his skll so that his brain would have somewhere to go instead of getting squashed against his skull? His recovery was considered miraculous by the doctors, but he was completely disabled. Confined to a wheel chair, unable to walk or talk or feed himself, etc. I can't believe they could do nothing! They said if his brain hadn't been compacted by the swelling he would have been fine. So why wouldn't my idea work?

A: It seems to me I've read of cases where, after brain surgery, they leave the top of the skull off, and sew the scalp over, allowing room for the brain to swell. Then, once the swelling has reduced, they go back in and put the skull piece back in.

This also reminds me of a movie I saw once (based on a true story), where the surgeon was removing a brain tumor from a young girl....her brain started swelling during surgery, and they couldn't find the cause, nor could they stop it. In frustration, the surgeon grabbed a chunk of brain and threw it against the wall.

Likewise, her recovery was considered miraculous. She has some aphasia, and limited peripheral vision in one eye, but not bad considering the punishment her grey matter underwent.