What causes TBI? Automobile accidents, falls, assaults/blows, sports-related injuries, and explosive blasts are common causes of TBI. When an individual suffers a TBI, the brain can be injured in a number of different of ways. For example, the brain may be shaken within the skull causing bruises (also called contusions) to form at the sites of impact. Like bruises elsewhere on the body, these will heal with time. Swelling may occur if there are many bruises on the brain, which can take a while longer to return to normal. Brain injury can occur even when there is no direct blow to the head, such as when a person suffers whiplash. When the head is rapidly accelerated and decelerated, as in an automobile, twisting or rotational forces may stretch and even sever long-range connecting fibers in the brain. Damage to these fibers disrupts communication between nerve cells, and thereby reduces the efficiency of widespread brain networks. Damage to blood vessels surrounding the brain is another common source of injury, causing bleeding between the brain and skull.This bleeding often stops on its own and the blood vessels heal like any other cut. Exposure to rapid pressure changes, such as the overpressurization and underpressurization waves that accompany explosions, can also cause damage to the brain.These pressure shifts induce air bubbles to form in the bloodstream, which can then travel to the brain and interrupt its blood supply.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 04:26:04 +0000