More than half of patients with traumatic brain injuries suffer from major depression disorder within a year of their injury, according to a recent study.
The research in JAMA, a publication of the American Medical Association, calls for aggressive diagnostic and treatment efforts to mitigate the effects of depression.
More than 53 percent of TBI (traumatic brain injury) victims meet the criteria of major depression disorder, researchers stated. They believe that if the depression disorder is treated successfully, patients will also experience better results from treatments for TBI.
Medscape reports that Dr. Charles H. Bombardier, from the Division of Clinical Neuropsychology in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine states that more than six million people in the U.S. have TBI-related disabilities. He said that when TBI medical care and lost productivity are added up, TBI costs more than $60 billion annually.
Major Causes of TBI
Some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury include:
- Closed head injuries: sustained in a slip and fall, motor vehicle crash, etc.
- Open head injury: bullet wounds, etc.
- Deceleration injuries: sustained when the skull hits a stationary object, causing the brain to move inside the skull.
- Exposure to harmful chemicals or toxins: pesticides, solvents, carbon monoxide, lead, etc.
- Hypoxia (lack of oxygen): blood flow depleted of oxygen can cause irreversible brain damage.
- Tumors: caused by cancer; can cause damage by putting pressure on the brain.
- Infections
- Stroke
Symptoms of TBI
Some common symptoms of traumatic brain injury include:
- Loss of memory
- Difficulty understanding speech and difficulty speaking (slurred speech, for example)
- Partial or total loss of vision
- Decrease or loss of hearing
- Chronic pain
- Sleep disorders
- Difficulties concentrating
The Center for Disease Control reports that more than 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries are sustained annually; approximately 17 percent of TBI is caused in motor vehicle crashes.
Traumatic brain injury is devastating and catastrophic, imposing extreme hardship on both the victim and family.
If you or a loved one sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car crash due to another driver's distraction or negligence, contact an Illinois personal injury attorney to assess the facts and help determine if you have a case. A personal injury lawyer helps protect your rights and fight for full, fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs due to injuries like TBI.
