Can the brain heal after being injured? Most studies suggest that once brain cells are destroyed or damaged, for the most part, they do not regenerate. However, recovery after brain injury can take place, especially in younger people, as, in some cases, other areas of the brain make up for the injured tissue.
And the answer is yes. The brain is incredibly resilient and possesses the ability to repair itself through the process of neuroplasticity. This phenomenon is the reason why many brain injury survivors can make astounding recoveries.
Moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to a lifetime of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes. These changes may affect a person's ability to function in their everyday life.
Unlike most other injuries, a brain injury doesn't simply heal in time and many people who sustain a moderate or severe brain injury will never fully recover to be the person they once were and live the life they once lived. But with the right help, at the right time, there can be life after brain injury.
With a severe brain injury, the person may suffer life-changing and debilitating problems. They will have cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. People who are in a coma or a minimally responsive state may remain dependent on the care of others for the rest of their lives. .
Perhaps the most common behavioural change after brain injury is that of increased irritability. People with a brain injury are often impatient, intolerant of others' mistakes, and easily irritated by interruptions, such as noise from children or machinery, which disrupt their concentration.
In fact, depending on the severity of the injury, recovery time for a TBI may vary from a few weeks to six or more months. Each person reacts differently to injury and illness. Thus, recovery time will vary between individuals. However, the length of recovery time for TBI depends on how long a patient is unconscious.
People with brain damage may have balance issues and sensitivity to pain and light. They may have difficulty with communication, including listening and expressing verbally. Brain damage patients may have frequent headaches and extreme mental and physical fatigue.
Will brain damage show up on an MRI? It's a question we get asked often by our clients who've suffered brain injuries. And the answer is if it's moderate or severe, most of the time it will show up on an MRI. If it's a mild brain injury, often it will not show up on an MRI.
Immediate Problems
Some complications of TBI include seizures, nerve damage, blood clots, narrowing of blood vessels, stroke, coma, and infections in the brain. The likelihood of many of these problems decreases as more time passes and the person's condition stabilizes.
You may wonder what the difference between brain damage and traumatic brain injury is. Brain damage usually is non-traumatic, while traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the result of a blow to the head, often in an accident with negligence.
After a brain injury, you might suffer from social anxiety, irritability, anger, depression, feelings of overwhelm, general anxiety, mood swings, or emotional lability (teariness). But make no mistake: While these symptoms can make it seem like you're a different person now, your personality is intact.
“Any type of brain injury, regardless of severity, can cause personality changes — and some patients may not experience any personality changes at all,” said Dr. Thomas. For patients who do experience personality changes, common symptoms include: Becoming quick to anger or frustration.
The major limitation in treating physical brain and spinal cord damage is that when these nerve cells are lost, the condition is permanent, ie the cells do not regrow. Diseases such as Parkinson's, dementia and multiple sclerosis cause damage to nerves which is irreversible and cannot currently be cured.
The cognitive effects of a brain injury include issues with speed of thought, memory, understanding, concentration, solving problems, using language and more.
Pain After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Pain is reported to be one of the most challenging difficulties experienced by survivors of traumatic brain injuries. The pain can be acute or chronic, and it can affect a variety of different areas of the body — not just the head.
Brain injury and mental health are often seen and treated as two entirely separate diagnoses, or sometimes confused as being the same thing. However, both can be true; brain injury is sometimes an entirely separate issue to mental health, whereas other times brain injury can lead to mental health issues developing.
Mild concussion (mTBI): Concussions are the most common type of TBI. Three out of 4 TBIs every year are concussions. These mTBIs can include brief alterations of consciousness such as feeling “dazed” or loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes.
Common events causing traumatic brain injury include the following: Falls. Falls from bed or a ladder, down stairs, in the bath, and other falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury overall, particularly in older adults and young children. Vehicle-related collisions.
A medical exam is the first step to diagnose a potential brain injury. Assessment usually includes a neurological exam. This exam evaluates thinking, motor function (movement), sensory function, coordination, eye movement, and reflexes. Imaging tests, including CT scans and MRI scans, cannot detect all TBIs.
Go to A&E if:
vomited (been sick) since the injury. a headache that does not go away with painkillers. a change in behaviour, like being more irritable or losing interest in things around you (especially in children under 5) been crying more than usual (especially in babies and young children)
Stage 1 (No response)
The child or young person appears to be in a deep sleep and doesn't respond to sounds or stimulation. This is referred to as 'coma'. While in coma, the brain is not functioning at the normal level. There is a limited ability to take in information or respond to light, sound or touch.