LAS VEGAS, Nevada. So, you’ve been in a car accident. You hit your head, but didn’t pass out, don’t feel dizzy, and don’t think you’ve suffered any memory loss. So, you’re fine, right? Maybe not. According to NPR, researchers for the journal Radiology report that even one concussion can have lasting changes on the brain. When the brain scans of healthy patients were compared to the brain scans of those who had suffered a concussion, the brains of those who had suffered a concussion showed damage in areas of the brain linked to mood and depression. In fact, some scans showed signs of atrophy or brain shrinkage. While researchers indicate that most patients who suffer mild traumatic brain injury go on to experience a full recovery, as many as 10 to 20 percent of patients might go on to develop problems with mood, depression, and anxiety. Others might experience headaches, balance problems, or difficulty concentrating. Sometimes these symptoms aren’t immediate perceptible.
A reporter for Quartz recently spoke to concussion experts and found that head impact alone didn’t account for the serious damage seen in concussions. In fact, one researcher at the University of Miami noted that people can experience a concussion even when their head has not been hit directly. The severity of a concussion is more about how much the skull moves around during an impact. If this is true, it might shed some light on why some whiplash injuries involve psychological symptoms.
Researchers used MRI imaging to show what happens to a person’s brain in motion. When the head was subjected to motions seen in a car crash or football game, the MRI recorded evidence that the brain was jostling around inside the skull. The brain is suspended in fluid in the skull. Any sharp motion will cause it to move. Slight motion won’t cause the brain to hit the side of the skull, but a sharp forceful motion can cause the brain to hit the inside of the skull. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing a helmet or not.
So, if you’ve been in a car accident, it is important to keep on the lookout for symptoms and to see a doctor right after your crash, even if you think you are okay. If you experience changes in mood, sudden onset depression, fuzzy thoughts, difficulty with memory, problems sleeping, or dizziness, you may want to seek medical attention and consider speaking to a qualified personal injury lawyer like the Truman Law Firm, P.C. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even a mild traumatic brain injury can have an immense impact on your life. It can affect your ability to work, play, and enjoy regular life activities. Sadly, some people don’t connect their new symptoms with their car accident until it is too late. You may only have a limited amount of time to seek a recovery for your traumatic brain injury. Visit our firm at http://trumanlawfirm.com/ to learn more.
