TBI

What is TBI?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are injuries to the head caused by blunt force trauma to the skull or by an object penetrating the skull and going into the brain. TBIs can cause tissue damage from bruising when the brain bounces against the skull or twists too sharply. It is important to realize that not all blows to the head result in TBI. TBIs range in severity from mild to moderate to severe. Healthcare professionals determine their severity based on an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the accident, the length of time (if any) someone was unconscious, and what changes the individual experienced in their thinking abilities immediately after incurring the injury. Children and adults who play contact sports and those who experience difficulties with balance are at a higher risk of incurring injuries to their head.

Mild TBIs are commonly referred to as a concussion. Typically, people with a concussion recover after a few weeks. However, symptoms of concussion can last for a month or longer and interfere with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional, functioning.

What are the signs of traumatic brain injury?

Some physical symptoms that you may experience after a head injury include:

• Headaches,
• Light or noise sensitivity,
• Dizziness or balance problems,
• Nausea or vomiting,
• Fatigue or lack of energy, or
• Trouble falling asleep and sleeping more or less than usual.

Some cognitive changes that you may experience after a head injury include:

• Difficulty paying attention or concentrating at home and/or school,
• Short-term memory problems (e.g., difficulty remembering instructions),
• Long-term memory problems (i.e., Trouble learning new information or remembering information already learned),
• Difficulty keeping pace with school workload,
• Slowed speed in reading, writing, or completing mathematical calculations,
• Difficulty processing verbal information, or
• Trouble thinking or formulating thoughts clearly.

It is important to remember that these signs occur after the head injury and are generally expected to lessen over the course of recovery. The more severe someone’s injuries, the more likely it is that they will experience more pronounced difficulties and will need a longer recovery period. Based on review of information gathered during your clinical interview and your test data, as well as review of any available neuroimaging results from your physician, our Thomson neuropsychologists can help determine whether your difficulties are due to an injury to your head and offer appropriate treatment recommendations.

What is the treatment for traumatic brain injury?

Our neuropsychologists will work with you to understand your rehabilitation goals and will make appropriate treatment and accommodation recommendations that will help facilitate your recovery.

Thomson’s cognitive rehabilitation therapists can partner with you and/or your child to teach cognitive strategies (e.g., organization, memory). Our therapists are skilled in addressing the impact of TBI on your psychological health. They will work with you to help address feelings of frustration, depression, or anxious worry and will also try to ensure that such feelings do not negatively impact your cognitive functioning. If appropriate, our neuropsychologists can discuss how to obtain academic or workplace accommodations. We are ready to provide you referrals to outside providers who may help facilitate you or your child’s day to day functioning.