e probe its secrets, the more surprises we find.” With the brain being an organ of utmost importance and survival depending upon it, what happens when this valuable organ gets hurt? One of the most notorious brain injury documentations is the case of Phineas Gage. Gage was a railroad worker who was impaled by an iron rod, fracturing his skull and causing extensive frontal lobe damage. As documented by his physician, his personality drastically changed, going from a social and responsible man to negligent and profane and unable to work. This can be explained by examining the type of brain injury that has taken place and the location. There are many types of brain injuries, each with corresponding effects.
The first most common brain injury
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PCS presents as irritability, depression and anxiety. Researchers from Toronto University Rehabilitation institute conducted a study in 2004 to check on the emotional and behavioral aftereffects of a concussion as little research had done to identify the connection. The study found that depression, confusion, and total mood disturbance that resulted from the concussion disappeared within three weeks. Each emotion had a different rate of decrease, with depression taking seven days to resolve, while confusion and mood disturbance took 17 to 21 days. If an individual sustains more than three concussions in their lifetime, they risk second impact syndrome (SIS). This describes when an individual sustains a second head injury before or after the first injury is done healing, typically common in those who play contact sports. This can cause vascular engorgement, increased intracranial pressure and eventual herniation. The herniation may involve the medial frontal lobe. This leads to cerebral edema, chronic encolapthy, depression, reduced cognitive performance and sometimes, death. It’s all dependent on which part of the brain was impacted. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is the degeneration of the brain caused by SIS. Psychological symptoms include impulsive behavior, difficulty thinking, depression or apathy, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts and behavior. …show more content…
An estimated 1,000 to 3,000 children die each year from it. SBS occurs when a frustrated caregiver or parent of a baby violently shakes the baby in an attempt to subdue crying. Punishable by charges of child abuse and homicide, it’s not taken lightly. Since a baby has weak neck muscles and a larger head, it’s more susceptible to brain damage. When shaken, the brain bounces around inside the skull, damaging tissues causing bruising, bleeding and swelling. This results in either severe brain damage or death. Symptoms of SBS include retinal bleeding, damage to the spinal cord and neck and rib fractures. Often, babies display lethargy, convulsions, difficulty breathing, irritability and convulsions. If the baby survives the surgery to try to repair damages within the brain, they will develop either cerebral palsy or cognitive impairment. This leads us to the disorders of the brain that patients are born
Based upon previous knowledge of brain function, what results from the testing were consistent with a brain injury?
First, he stayed conscious during his entire accident, which was diagnosed as an open brain injury; in other words, he was alive to feel the pain of the iron rod shooting through his head. Page six of Phineas Gage proves this is shocking by stating “Amazingly, Phineas is still alive… a minute later he speaks.” Second, as the iron rod damaged his brain (causing social problems), the iron rod damaged his skull and face. Gage had huge gashes, a cracked skull, a major loss of blood, and many more injuries revolving his head. On page nine of Phineas Gage, Gage’s immediate physical adversities are described: “He cleans the skin around the hole, extracts the small fragments of bone, and gently presses the larger pieces of skull back in place… he pulls the loose skin back into position…” As anyone can notice, Gage’s physical adversities were very, very harsh, and won’t compare to the adversities faced by Lacks and
A concussion is defined as temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head or a violent shock from a heavy blow. The force transmitted to the head causes the brain to hit the skull, which causes the brain to swell. The symptoms of a concussion can appear immediately after contact or they may subtle and may not appear right away. The symptoms of a concussion can vary in length. There are many different symptoms to a concussion: "Common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion" (Mayo). Other symptoms that may be involved with a concussion include loss of consciousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. There are also symptoms that may not occur immediately, but may be delayed hours or days after. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and sleep disturbances. An athlete should ...
In times past and recent, a person may have expressed their gratefulness to another person with a statement such as, no one expected to lose their life when they woke up today. This case of Phineas Gage is still a modern mystery to some people, in as much, the fact that he survived this horrific incident was a true blessing and a wonder for all to see. At a period in history where the brain’s activities and functions was in high debated, scientist wanting to prove their theory and every situation that involved the brain an avenue in which they used to fuel their research, Phineas gave them an enormous amount of evidence. In making the point that the brain has different lobes that has control over their respective areas and motor skills of
Concussions and the effect they have on people ranging from the young to the old has become a very popular discussion in recent years. Generally people watch sports for entertainment and then there are those who engage in high impact sports from a very young age on. The people at home know how fun playing in a sport is, however they may not know the brutal consequences for some participating in that sport. Injuries to the brain are a main concern among those in the world of high impact sports. Football, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, and rugby are among sports that athletes receive injuries in. The injuries vary from sprains, to fractures, to torn MCL or ACL, and bruised organs. Concussions are a severe type of injury endured by athletes in the sports world and this life changing injury is one that people are becoming more aware of.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative disease of the brain linked to symptoms of dementia and depression. Some other symptoms of CTE include: amnesia, aggression...
One of the earliest players to bring awareness to brain traumas was Mike Webster, a former Pittsburgh Steeler. In April of 1999, he claimed to be disabled with the NFL Retirement Board. He also had dementia which was a result of the brutal hits he endured during his football career. Webster ran into many problems at the e...
The world of sports is filled with great memories, grand moments and at times complete mayhem. There are moments like hitting a Home Run in game 7 of the World Series or memories of scoring an overtime goal during the Stanley Cup finals. However, there are also incredibly low moments when mayhem occurs such as an action or incident that results in a concussion. An injury such as a concussion can ruin your sports career or potentially your ability to function normally in the future. Concussions are caused by blunt force trauma to the head, a fall or an injury that shakes the brain inside the skull. Recovering from a concussion can take weeks, months or even years to heal. For some, it can impair your mental or mobility functions for life.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, previously referred to as dementia pugilistica, can be understood as a tauopathic, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease. While there is no neurobiological or neuropathological explanation as to why CTE occurs, the majority of researchers believe the disease is strongly related to previous head injuries. An individual suffering from CTE will most likely experience changes in their mood, behavior and cognition. Because this is a relatively new area of research, there are still a vast amount of unknowns pertaining to the disease’s symptoms, pathology, and natural course.
Imagine yourself as a sweet, innocent, precious little baby. You are totally dependant upon adults to give you what you need and most importantly love. Your only means of communication is crying so you cry when you need to be fed, when you need your diaper changed, when you aren’t feeling so well, or when you just want some attention. You are crying and someone comes over to you. They pick you up, but instead of holding you and comforting you, talking affectionately to you, they shake you violently and vigorously. You are a baby, imagine the fear and pain that the shaking causes you. This is a form of child abuse and what is even harder to believe is that it actually happens. The correct term is Shaken Baby Syndrome and it is a form of abuse that is happening far and wide.
Over some period of time, affected children (patients) experience mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Affected patients become totally disabled and eventually die.
Shaken baby syndrome or SBS according to Google is, “an injury to a baby caused by being shaken violently and repeatedly.” 80% of babies who have SBS suffer from lifelong disabilities. These disabilities include speech and learning disabilities, seizures, hearing loss, and sometimes can result in death. Shaken baby syndrome is very dangerous, and can be avoided. Parents should be informed of the long-lasting effects of shaken baby syndrome.
While many athletes are fine after receiving one concussion, it is the second concussion that can be very unfavorable and even deadly. When an athlete receives a second concussion before the first concussion has fully healed, it is called second impact syndrome.... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Adirim, Terry A. & Co.
Many people do not understand that a concussion does not simply go away in a few days, it can last up to a couple months. "Most concussions and other mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) should completely resolve within one to six weeks. Some people, however, experience post-concussion syndrome (PCS) with symptoms lasting longer than this. Post-concussion syndrome can include physical, cognitive, and emotional problems” (Cornell). Most brain injuries take one to six weeks to heal. Although, some people suffer from post-concussion syndrome, this is where the symptoms last a bit longer. Concussions usually aren’t crazily severe but, when they are these injuries can be easily mistaken by other severe brain injuries. "Long-term effects of concussions are very rare. Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause symptoms similar to a concussion, but individuals with these TBIs often experience more severe problems with attention and short-term memory, have difficulty performing daily tasks, and report feeling “slower” overall” (Cornell). Even though long-term effects are rather rare they can still occur. Furthermore, concussions can sometimes get confused with severe traumatic brain injuries because, they often have the same symptoms. Long-term concussions can affect the brain and make it difficult to
Over the last few weeks, Mr. Klein has been bothered by nausea, frequent fainting spells, and severe headaches. There are two ways a physician might be able to determine whether Mr. Klein’s symptoms result from a brain disorder or injury. A brain disorder and injury is different and similar in its definition, symptoms, causes, risks, and diagnostics process. These similarities and differences allow the physician to determine what type of illness Mr. Klein is suffering from and how to treat him.