Cours 12 : Traumatic Brain Injury

Question 1

Can a head concussion be considered a TBI?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Answer 2

Defined as a physical injury tissue that temporarily or permanently impairs brain function

TBIs are classified according to the severity (mild, moderate, severe) nd the mechanism of injury (closed or penetrating head injury)

Depending on the severity of the injury, TBIs can affect numerous aspects such as physical capability, cognitive ability, emotional state, social interaction’s and behaviour.

Question 3

TBI is caused by what?

Answer 3

External mechanical forces like a direct blow to the head by blunt or penetrating object

Indirect forces such as inertia during a motor vehicle accident, where rapid movement of the head causes back and forth movement of the brain inside the skull (the injury comes from the brain rattling in the skull)

Question 4

After a TBI, what are the risks?

Answer 4

Increase of risk of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and parkinson disease

Question 5

Can the side of brain lesions predict the type of impairments and disabilities following a TBI?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

What is the incidence for traumatic brain injury?

Answer 6

Leading cause of death and disability for people under 35
Female : 21.2% and male : 78.8%

65 000 new cases/year in Canada (medically attended brain injury)

+/- : 20% die
+/- : 10 to 20% survive with severe impairments, no independent living

and the others learn to live with various disorders

Question 7

What is the table about the incidence of TBI?

Answer 7

1. The major group who gets TBIs are 15-24 years old. Why? Because people are young and they try stuff that are dangerous, especially males
2. 28% of TBIs are caused by Motor vehicle
   20% by sports
   9% by assault
3. Falls are the biggest cause of TBIs for people with more than 64 years of age

Question 8

What are the types of TBIs - penetrating head injury?

Answer 8

Injury where brain tissue is damaged by an object such as a knife, a bullet, or bone fragments that has pierced the skull and dura matter

Question 9

What are the types of TBIs - closed head injury?

Answer 9

Injury in which the skull and dura mater are not breached

Question 10

What is TBIs focal?

Answer 10

Injury confined to a specific area of the brain causing localized damage

Question 11

What is TBIs diffuse?

Answer 11

Injury characterized by damage throughout the brain

Question 12

What is hematoma?

Answer 12

Collection of blood outside blood vessels. Bleeding can occur outside the brain (subdural) or within the brain tissue itself (intracerebral)

Question 13

What is hemorrhage?

Answer 13

Bleeding directly into brain tissue

Question 14

What is Diffuse Axonal Injury?

Answer 14

Results from a tearing of nerve bundles and/or stretching of blood vessels

Question 15

What is Contusions?

Answer 15

Bruises that cause swelling and bleeding resulting in tissue damage

Question 16

What happens during a TBI?

Answer 16

Nerve fibers within specific areas of the brain are severed

Nerve fibers are stretched which results in inefficient and slowed functioning.

Question 17

What is a coup and contrecoup?

Answer 17

Coup : brain injury at the point of impact (primary impact)

Contrecoup : brain injury is opposite the point of impact (secondary impact)

Question 18

What is the function of the fontal lobe?

Answer 18

Executive functions, thinking, planning, organizing and problem solving, emotions and behavioural control, personality

Question 19

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Answer 19

Perception, making sense of the world, arithmetic, spelling

Question 20

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 20

Vision

Question 21

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 21

Memory, understanding, language

Question 22

What is the function of the motor cortex?

Answer 22

Mouvement

Question 23

What is the function of the sensory cortex?

Answer 23

Sensations

Question 24

What is the Hemineglect Syndrome?

Answer 24

A neglect patient may ignore people who approach from the left, leave food untouched on the left side of the plate, or even forget to put clothes on the left side of the body. If the symptoms extent to visual tasks, and the patient is asked to draw a picture, for example, everything on the left side of the drawing is ignored

Question 25

What is the 1st degree of severity?

Answer 25

Confusion
- Thinking process decreases (ex : when there’s a knock out, the boxer will be on the floor and then the ref asks the questions)
- Inattention, disorientation
- Speech is affected

Question 26

What is the 2nd degree of severity?

Answer 26

Coma (cannot be aroused by strong sensory stimuli)
- Can affect IQ
- decrease metabolic activity of the brain (decrease sleep)
- lead to amnesia

Question 27

What is the 3rd degree of severity?

Answer 27

Cerebral death (the body is alive but not the brain)
- The brain is no longer able to regulate body function

Question 28

What are the TBI symptoms?

Answer 28

Medical : headaches, risk of seizures, fatigue- both metal and physical

Physical : balance issues, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, or paralysis, muscles rigidity/spasticity

Senses : over-sensitivity, vision problems, sensitivity to noise, changes to sense of smell and taste

Question 29

What is the difference between the effects of TBI and Stroke on Body Functions?

Answer 29

Brain damage after TBI is more widespread than the stroke

Question 30

Can the recovery process occur for more than 2 years post TBI?

Answer 30

Yes

Question 31

Is there a relation between the length of coma and the level of motor severity?

Answer 31

Yes