Articles Posted in Brain Injury

Maryland parents may be able to attest to the fact that, sometimes, children, especially teens, can exhibit behavior that adults find frustrating. Even when a child becomes unruly, adults must not allow the situation to escalate to physical violence. While parents may have firsthand experience with trying teen behavior, a recent incident at school left one student with a reportedly severe head injury. 

The trouble began inside a Maryland classroom. One of the students, a 17-year-old female, became unruly during class and brushed past her teacher, intentionally stepping on her foot. While certainly this was an unacceptable affront on the part of the young lady, her teacher responded with even worse judgement when she came to blows with the teen girl. 

A video that captured the physical altercation was recently leaked to the public. The teacher in question is seen exchanging blows with the girl. It took at least three people to break up the fight, and the girl was hit so hard she reportedly lost consciousness and suffered loss of vision; she is also suspected to have suffered severe brain injury. The teacher was removed and charged with assault. 

Maryland residents are welcoming autumn and all it has to offer. Whether it be photographing seasonal foliage, enjoying a football game with friends or perhaps just tidying up the house and yard before the holidays, people can find plenty to do in the coming weeks. While it’s always nice to look forward to exciting events, some have to deal with the reality of unfortunate circumstances, like a crash, injury or health situation that results in a brain injury. 

Brain injuries can happen to anyone and, sadly, occur more often than many people think. Though medical treatment has advanced somewhat, and people are more aware of the risks, brain injuries have remained a bit of a mystery until recently. Researchers from Villanova University have created a working artificial model of the human brain, complete with a clear skull. 

The purpose of the technology, dubbed the “smart brain,” is to try to better understand how brain injury affects the victim, and provide clues to enhance treatment and prevention methods. The “smart brain” was designed to mimic the human brain under various conditions, and uses a system of cameras and biometric feedback to give researchers new and exciting clues to how the human brain can be affected by variables like impact or disease. In the future, the developers hope to use the data gathered to better diagnose and treat brain injury. 

Injury to the brain can be catastrophic in Maryland and elsewhere, resulting in disability as well as a shortened life. Unfortunately, not much is known regarding how various injury levels impact the brain. However, a recent research study indicated that both time and molecules known as signaling molecules probably play a role in mild cases of traumatic brain injury.

In the recent research study, scientists divided mice into several groups and analyzed their brain samples. They learned that the molecules involved in a signaling pathway called the cAMP pathway appeared to contribute to brain injury mediation and recovery. This same signaling pathway helps with regulating a person’s heart rate, memory and stress levels.

Back in 2013, emergency rooms in the United States received nearly three million patients who had traumatic brain injury. Of these, 50,000 died. Concussions, also known as mild brain injuries, represent around 75 percent of the cases. Although some patients recover fully from their injuries, others end up with permanent disability and even dementia.

Going under the knife can be an understandably stressful event for Maryland patients. Although most people trust their doctors implicitly, even minor mistakes can cause permanent damage. Catastrophic injuries — including brain damage — have life-long implications that can severely affect a person’s ability to continue his or her life as normal.

A jury recently awarded $26 million to an out-of-state woman after she suffered serious permanent injuries from a medical error. In Oct. 2012, the woman underwent neck surgery at a hospital in her area. Although she was sent home soon after, three days after the surgery she returned to the hospital via the emergency room. She was struggling to swallow and breathe and complained of significant neck pain.

After being admitted to the ER, she waited over six hours to be seen by the doctor who had performed her surgery. According to hospital policy, she should have been seen within two hours. By the time doctors finally got around to treating her it was too late, and the damage from her surgery had already been done. Complications from the neck surgery caused her to suffer brain damage, induced blindness and left her confined to a wheelchair.

Employers and their employees, for the most part, get along. The relationship can get complicated when either the boss or the worker overstep the line that separates the two roles. When issues arise, usually the employee will find other employment to separate him or herself from the situation. Others may take matters too far, as a recent incident in Maryland has left one severely incapacitated after an intentional head injury.

Police received a call around 6:45 a.m. to respond to an assault at a local gas station. Upon arrival, authorities found a 52-year-old man suffering from blunt force trauma to the head. He was transported to a local hospital.

A 48-year-old male employee was with the injured man, who was also his boss when the attack occurred. They had traveled to the gas station, and the employer had gone into the convenience store. When he returned to the car, a 20-year-old male approached him and struck him on the head with a two-by-four. Upon investigation, authorities learned that the employee and the assailant had been in previous contact and had spoken on the phone just moments before the attack occurred.

The recent Las Vegas shooting has been in the news, on the minds and in the hearts of many. The reasons why such a sad occurrence was carried out seem to pale in comparison to the damage and heartache that has been a result of the act. A Maryland woman who was a victim in the shooting is holding on to her life and, if she survives, may suffer brain damage.

The woman was attending the concert with her boyfriend and friends when the she was shot through her right eye. Her companions carried her over 300 yards to a pickup truck and she was rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors say that the bullet traveled through two quadrants of her brain, but luckily, no swelling has occurred.

The woman is currently in intensive care and surrounded by her family, who reports updates on her condition. Her mother says that she shows signs of agitation when the nurses and doctors have to perform unpleasant or invasive procedures on her. These positive signs show that the woman is fighting.

It is understood that Maryland boxing contenders understand that their jobs can be dangerous and painful. Stepping into the ring to battle another human being until the last one standing wins, or a panel of judges declares a winner, can take a lot of dedication and physical training. Attending physicians are require to sit ringside and tend to the boxers during breaks in the rounds, checking for any signs that may indicate the athlete cannot safely continue the match, including the harder to diagnose concussions. Should a ringside physician fail to stop a fight when a brain injury is possible, negligence could be assumed.

An up and coming boxer has been left in a coma after a welter-weight match two years ago. The match was going as predicted, until the opponent landed some illegal rabbit punches to the back of the young boxer’s head during the 7th round. The man fell to all fours and then awkwardly got to his feet and retreated to a neutral corner, keeping a gloved hand to the back of his head.

After a disqualification in the 10th round, the athlete returned to his dressing room where he complained of dizziness, vomited and lost consciousness. He was transported to a local hospital and received emergency surgery for a brain bleed. The boxer remains in a coma and under the care of his parents in their out-of-state home.

For many Maryland residents with symptoms that include forgetfulness, headaches and sensitivity to light and sound, finding the culprit to these sometimes debilitating annoyances can be time-consuming and costly. Most cases stem from some sort of brain injury, whether due to an accident or at the hands of another. Roughly two million Americans suffer from some form of traumatic brain injury each year. The lasting disabilities and general medical aftereffects can be devastating.

Injury to the myelin sheath, which covers the microscopic brain cells, is not always picked up on an electroencephalogram and is rarely caught on most common medical scans. The disruption to the damaged cells can cause emotional and physical symptoms that can often go undiagnosed. The presenting symptoms, when expressed to a physician, are usually misdiagnosed as allergies, depression and behavioral issues.

Neuropsychologists are suggesting that doctors use a more all-encompassing approach to testing patients who come in with symptoms that may be the result of a TBI. The test, Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, examines four areas that will help to narrow down the damage and possibly help to diagnose TBI. Cognitive ability, right-left comparison, patterns and skill level help to determine the extent of the injury and allow for treatment.

Many injuries you might suffer are readily apparent, from scrapes and bruises to broken or severed limbs. However, some of the most difficult injuries to identify and treat can be virtually invisible and may take time to manifest.

If you suffered a blow to the head during a car accident, you may experience many symptoms depending on the severity of your injury. Unfortunately, because the damage is internal and often difficult to observe, you may not immediately know just how serious your injury actually is.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are generally categorized as either severe or mild. Regardless of which you may have suffered, the symptoms can be every bit as debilitating as a more obvious, visible injury like a broken bone.

Researchers from an out-of-state children’s hospital recently found that when a child suffers from a TBI, that child may potentially experience repercussions of that injury for many years. Specifically, the study found that when a child experiences a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury, he or she is two times more likely to develop attention problems years down the road. Maryland residents may be surprised to learn that, according to the study, there are over 630,000 teens and children in the U.S. that go to the emergency room each year to be treated for TBIs.

The study was presented out of state at an annual meeting for the Association of Academic Physiatrists. The researchers discovered that children who experienced a TBI are more likely to develop ADHD than those who never had a TBI — five times more likely, in fact. Factors such as the home environment and parenting both have significant influence on the child’s recovery.

Children who had a severe TBI showed few effects due to their injuries when in optimal environments. However, children who had milder TBIs had persistent problems when they were from chaotic or disadvantaged homes. The researchers also found that an early response was important for the children’s long-term outcomes.