Brain injuries are classified into types depending on the nature and severity of the injury. All types of traumatic brain injury are serious, but understanding the different types of TBI can help you address the specific needs of the patient.
Our experienced Century City personal injury lawyers at LA Century Law explain the traumatic brain injury types.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury is the disruption of normal brain function by trauma. It is sudden and results from force, not from illness or a degenerative condition.
Traumatic brain injuries can result from shaking, striking, or penetrating injury. TBIs vary in severity and effect on the person.
Closed Head Injuries vs. Penetrating Head Injuries
A closed head injury is trauma to the head without penetration of the skull or dura mater. A penetrating head injury occurs when a foreign object pierces the skull or dura mater.
Closed head injury
When the brain sustains trauma and impaired function by shaking or jolting, without the skull being pierced, it is a closed head injury.
Types of closed head injuries include:
- Concussion
- Intracranial hematoma (ruptured blood vessel)
- Brain bruise (cerebral contusion)
- Diffuse axonal injury (permanent damage and often life-threatening)
Even though the skull and dura mater remain intact for a closed head injury, the person may still be severely injured. Loss of consciousness or seizure may occur. Secondary effects may include behavioral and personality changes. Other symptoms may include vomiting, nausea, confusion, and anxiety.
Penetrating head injury
When an object enters the brain, it is a penetrating head injury. A foreign object breaches the skull and dura mater and damages the brain directly, impairing function. Penetrating head injury is often fatal. Common causes of penetrating head injury are gunshot wounds, weapons, protruding objects, projectiles from an accident or explosion, and sporting equipment.
Is a skull fracture a closed head or penetrating injury?
A skull fracture can be either a closed head or penetrating brain injury, depending on whether the skin and dura mater are injured. A cracked skull can still be a closed head injury if the brain isn’t directly pierced.
Skull and dura mater
The skull is the group of bones that make up the head. There are 22 skull bones, including the brain case and facial bones. The dura mater is the outer layer of the three layers of tissue that surround the brain. It is the toughest and thickest layer, protecting the brain and maintaining its structure.
Mild TBIs and Concussions: Symptoms and Recovery
A TBI or concussion is mild if it is not life-threatening. A person may still experience significant symptoms and disruption in their lives, but the impact is relatively less severe. There can be both short-term and long-term effects.
Symptoms
Symptoms of mild TBI may include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Sensitivity to light
- Irritability
- Sleep changes
- Feeling sluggish
Recovery
A mild TBI is a serious injury. Treatment typically includes physical and mental rest followed by a gradual return to activity. Some people experience long-term impacts like headaches and mood changes. It’s important to monitor symptoms and seek additional medical attention if symptoms do not improve.
Moderate to Severe TBIs: Long-Term Effects on Daily Life
A moderate or severe TBI significantly impacts a victim. In the short term, the person may experience loss of consciousness and coma. They may experience disordered thinking, confusion, or memory changes. They may feel angry, aggressive, or nervous. Disorientation, seizure, or vomiting may occur.
Brain scans will likely show trauma like bleeding, bruising, structural damage, or fracture. A severe TBI can be fatal.
Long-term effects
A moderate or severe traumatic brain injury can also impact a person in the long term. The CDC reports that those surviving a severe TBI for more than five years have high rates of complications, including disability (57%), loss of employment (55%), rehospitalization (50%), dissatisfaction with life (29%), drug use or alcohol misuse (29%), and institutionalization (12%).
In addition, people who suffer severe brain trauma are more likely to die from drug overdose, pneumonia, or infection.
Treatment for severe TBI can help. Rest, surgery, physical therapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy, and pain management may improve long-term outcomes.
Diffuse Axonal Injury: One of the Most Serious TBIs
Diffuse axonal injury is the tearing and shearing of axons. In mild cases, tearing is microscopic.
In severe cases, gross tears in the corpus callosum and brain stem are present. Axons may be mechanically damaged, and function may also be impaired. Swelling and degeneration may occur.
Diffuse axonal injury harms the brain to an extreme level. The fatality rate is high. In one study of 133 patients presenting with moderate or severe head trauma, with 41% suffering from Grade 1 diffuse axonal injury, the mortality rate after three months was 25.6%.
Secondary Brain Injuries and Complications
Secondary brain injury occurs when a person suffers additional trauma before the first trauma has fully healed. While the impact of each injury may be relatively minor, the physiological changes of repeated trauma can have a devastating effect. A person may experience swelling, pressure in the brain, low oxygen, and inflammation.
How TBIs Are Diagnosed and Treated
TBIs are diagnosed by physical assessment, neurological evaluation, and imaging scans. A trained medical care provider will ask questions about what happened. They will evaluate cognitive function. They may make observations of the person’s vision and physical and sensory functions and review symptoms. The Glasgow Coma Scale may be used to assess the severity of the injury.
Imaging tests like a CT scan and MRI can be informative, but they may not be conclusive.
Treatment options
Appropriate treatment depends on the type of TBI, its severity, and the overall health status of the patient. A patient must be stabilized first and foremost. Surgery may be necessary.
Medication may manage pain and other symptoms. Physical therapy can help restore speech and physical function. Behavioral therapy may help with anxiety and aggressive behavior.
Mobility assistance, such as wheelchairs and home modifications, may contribute to independence.
Contact an Experienced Century City Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact LA Century Law. You may deserve compensation for a car accident, slip and fall, or other personal injury. See if you have a case and what you may qualify to receive. Call or message us now.