What Are The Possible Results Of Brain Injury?

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What are the possible results of brain injury?

Some brain injuries are mild, with symptoms disappearing over time

with proper attention. Others are more severe and may result in

permanent disability. The long-term or permanent results of brain

injury may require post-injury and possibly life-long

rehabilitation. Effects of brain injury may include:

cognitive deficits • coma

• confusion

• shortened attention span

• memory problems and amnesia

• problem solving deficits

• problems with judgment

• inability to understand abstract concepts

• loss of sense of time and space

• decreased awareness of self and others

• inability to accept more than one- or two-step commands

simultaneously

motor deficits • paralysis or weakness

• spasticity (tightening and shortening of the muscles)

• poor balance

• decreased endurance

• inability to plan motor movements

• delays in initiation

• tremors

• swallowing problems

• poor coordination

perceptual or sensory deficits • changes in hearing, vision,

taste, smell, and touch

• loss of sensation or heightened sensation of body parts

• left- or right-sided neglect

• difficulty understanding where limbs are in relation to the

body

• vision problems, including double vision, lack of visual

acuity, or limited range of vision

communication and language deficits • difficulty speaking

and understanding speech (aphasia)

• difficulty choosing the right words to say (apraxia)

• slow, hesitant speech and decreased vocabulary

• difficulty forming sentences that make sense

• problems identifying objects and their function

• problems with reading, writing, and ability to work with

numbers

functional deficits • impaired ability with activities of

daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, bathing, and eating

• problems with organization, shopping, or paying bills

• problems with vocational issues

• inability to drive a car or operate machinery

social difficulties • impaired social capacity resulting

in self-centered behavior

• difficulties in making and keeping friends

• difficulties understanding and responding to the nuances of

social interaction

regulatory disturbances • fatigue

• changes in sleep patterns and eating habits

• dizziness

• headache

• loss of bowel and bladder control

personality or psychiatric changes • apathy

• decreased motivation

• emotional lability

• irritability

• anxiety and depression

• disinhibition, including temper flare-ups, aggression,

cursing, lowered frustration tolerance, and inappropriate sexual

behavior

Certain psychiatric disorders are more likely to develop if damage

changes the chemical composition of the brain.

traumatic epilepsy Epilepsy occurs in 2 to 5 percent of all

people who sustain brain injury, but it is much more common with

severe or penetrating injuries. While most seizures occur

immediately after the injury, or within the first year, it is also

possible for epilepsy to surface years later. Epilepsy includes both

major or generalized seizures and minor or partial seizures.