What are Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)?

Traumatic brain injury occurs when an external mechanical force causes brain dysfunction.

Traumatic brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. An object penetrating the skull, such as a bullet or shattered piece of skull, also can cause traumatic brain injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury may cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain that can result in long-term complications or death.

How is the brain damaged?

With a Traumatic Brain Injury the brain may be damaged as a result of a blow or rapid movement of the head back in cases of whiplash. As a result the brain may be torn, stretched, penetrated, bruised or become swollen.
A traumatic brain injury can be diffuse or focal; however the two often occur together. Diffuse damage involves damage to axons, the brain’s microscopic communication pathways, which extend from brain cells. Damage occurs when the axons are stretched or severed.
Focal damage involves damage to specific areas of brain tissue. Types of focal injuries include contusions (bruised brain tissue), which often occurs under the sight of impact, lacerations (torn brain tissue), and or haematoma (a collection of blood inside or around the brain), which can be the result of haemorrhaging and can lead to increased pressure on the brain.
A traumatic brain injury often results in secondary injuries, which arise due to the brain’s reaction to the first injury. These further injuries include brain swelling and haemorrhaging. Complications such as brain swelling, puts pressure on brain tissue, which can restrict oxygen supply to other parts of the brain leading to cell death. Often treatment of a traumatic brain injury is focused on controlling the secondary effects to prevent further damage.

How can functional rehabilitation help?

A well trained doctor in functional rehabilitation may be able to rehabilitate patient’s brain after TBI. Assessment will be carefully performed to individualized patient’s rehabilitation regime. By using clinical neuroscience and neuroplasticity a well-trained doctor may be able to “re-program” impaired areas such as mesencephalon, vestibular system and cortex.