Brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when the brain is injured by a rapid, external physical attack. When the brain strikes the inside of the skull, brain tissue is damaged. TBI is a general term that encompasses a wide range of brain ailments. Damage to the brain may be localized (restricted to a single area) or broad (damage in more than one area). A brain injury’s severity can range from a minor concussion to a serious one that can leave a victim in a coma or even lead to death.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and Traumatic Brain Injuries.- Although the two injuries share many of the same symptoms, they are not the same injury. But just because TBI and PTSD are distinct injuries does not mean that the two are unrelated. According to some researchers, “mild TBI may increase vulnerability to certain psychological disorders, possibly accounting for the high rate of such disorders and even suicide among veterans.” TBI is a physical injury to the brain that, among other things, can lead to the development of a psychological disorder. Unfortunately, modern medical diagnostic tests cannot definitively diagnose TBI. Still, there is hope that an advanced form of MRI, protein marker blood testing, or macromolecular proton fraction mapping could be useful in the future.