| Protect
– Watch Your Head |
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Every
15 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a traumatic brain
injury. Of the 1,000,000 people treated in hospital emergency rooms
each year, 50,000 die and 80,000 become permanently disabled because
of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This is higher than the combined
incidence of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple
sclerosis.
Brain injuries occur more frequently than breast cancer or AIDS.
One out of every fifty Americans is currently living with disabilities
from TBI. There's even an association between head injury and Alzheimer's
disease later in life.
And,
you don't have to be knocked unconscious to sustain a brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), also known as concussion , can
damage your brain at the cellular level .
Worse, repetitive head injuries , even minor ones, can have serious
repercussions – including permanent brain damage or death.
Watch
Your Head Topics:
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury-Concussions
Children’s Head Injuries
Head Injuries in Sports
Head Injury Links to Alzheimer’s Disease
Head Injury Links to Violence
Head Injury-What Happens Inside Your Brain
Protection
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| Youth
Most at Risk for Brain Injury – Statistics |
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| If
you are between the ages of 15 and 24 and drive a motor
vehicle, ride a bicycle, or play sports, then you are
at the top of the risk-list for head injury. Men are
nearly twice as likely as women to injure their brains,
but all of us are quite vulnerable.
Transportation accidents (cars, bikes, horses) account
for nearly half of all traumatic brain injury, followed
by falls (25%). Firearms (assaults and suicide) represent
about 10%. |
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Falls
are the most common cause of playground injuries and
result in a higher proportion of severe injuries than
either bicycle or motor vehicle crashes. Brain injuries
account for 75% of children's deaths from falling off
of playground equipment.
Traumatic brain injury is significantly underdiagnosed
and has no cure, therefore prevention is crucial. Helmets,
seat belts, air bags, and car seats have proven to reduce
brain injury and death.
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| Age,
Gender and Brain Injury Survival Factors – Statistics |
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| Data
from more than 2,300 hospitalized patients of all ages
indicate that gender and age influence the outcome of
serious brain injury. For children under ten years old,
young girls were found to be four-times more likely
to die from head injury than boys.
Hormones seem to play a role. Higher levels of testosterone
in young men may offer protection by bulking up brain
mass, just as it bulks up muscles. For young women,
however, high levels of circulating estrogen could make
them especially vulnerable to head injury. |
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In
older individuals this injury "gender gap"
is reversed. University of California, San Diego researcher
Dr. Azadeh Farin said that "women in their 50s,
60s, or 70s are roughly twice as likely to survive traumatic
brain injuries than men in the same age group."2
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| Early Injury Can Have Long-Term Effects |
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| Although
young children with brain injury usually recover their
mental abilities quite rapidly, they can have serious
problems later. "These kids have incredible learning
deficits even when the IQ returns to normal," said
Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, a University of Texas neurologist.
She noted that 70% of children's brain injuries affect
the frontal cortex. |
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Because
growth in the brain's frontal regions continues throughout
young adulthood, early injury there can damage formation
of the protective myelin insulation around neurons .
This can impair their ability to control emotions and
inhibit inappropriate behavior. These kids have trouble responding to subtle social cues and planning difficult tasks.
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| How
to Identify the Seriousness of a Child's Concussion |
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| All
concussions are cause for concern, but not all concussions
are the same. Symptoms can include confusion, headache,
concentration problems, mood swings, or sleep difficulties.
"Concussions are caused by a blow to the head,"
says Michael Goodman, M.D., a clinical assistant professor
of Pediatrics and Neurology at Jefferson Medical College
of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. "They
can occur when a child falls and during any sport that
can involve a collision of the head with another object
– be it a head, a ball, or the ground." |
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To
better help parents, teachers, and coaches evaluate
the seriousness of a concussion, in 2000 a consensus
group of medical and athletic associations developed
guidelines to be implemented whenever there is a suspicion
of a concussion.
The guidelines suggest that concussions should be graded
on three levels. Dr. Goodman explains the three levels
here.
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| Grade
1 Concussion |
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| “With
a GRADE 1 concussion, a child has a brief period of
confusion and appears dazed without a loss of consciousness.
During this time, for example, the child will respond
inappropriately to an easy question. The symptoms disappear
within 15 minutes.
At the first sign of a concussion, the child should
be taken out of the game. He or she should be spoken
to twice in a five-minute span to confirm that the child
is not experiencing confusion.
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This is a grade 1 concussion and if the child appears
to be okay after five minutes, they can rejoin the game
immediately.
But, if this scenario happens twice in a one-week period,
the child should wait one week before resuming any sports.”
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| Grade
2 Concussion |
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| “With
a GRADE 2 concussion , the confusion can last from five
minutes to an hour, but the child does not lose consciousness.
For a grade 2 concussion, the child should be spoken
to in five-minute intervals until the child appears
to be normal again. |
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The child should not resume playing but relax and stay
away from sports for a full week.
If the symptoms do not disappear within a week, the
child should be examined by a neurologist, who will
likely recommend a neurological imaging test such as
an MRI or CAT scan.”
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| Grade
3 Concussion |
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| “With
a GRADE 3 concussion , there is a loss of consciousness,
even for a short time.
The most serious, a grade 3 concussion, requires that
the child be brought immediately to a hospital emergency
department where he or she will get a good neurological
exam. If the results are normal – and the child
was unconscious for only a brief time – the child
can go home and resume sports in a week. |
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If the results of the exam are normal – but the
child was out for a longer period of time – the
child should refrain from sports for two weeks. If abnormal
neurologic tests indicate a potential neurological problem,
then the child should be given a CAT scan or MRI. “
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| A
Warning From Dr. Goodman |
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| Dr.
Goodman stresses that the three grade level descriptions
are guidelines only, and that parents and children should
heed the guidance of medical and athletic professionals
during these situations.
He warns that anyone who sustains a concussion is at
a greater risk for another. And, a person who gets a
second concussion before the first one resolves is at
risk for serious or, in some cases, catastrophic consequences.
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But,
he says, "kids and sports have been around for
a long time. It is up to the adults who are involved
in children's sports to keep a balance between safety
and competition."
Dr. Goodman is clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics
and Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas
Jefferson University, Philadelphia.
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| Nutrition
Helps Behavior Problems in Children - Study |
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| An
injury to the head is just one way the brain can malfunction.
Stress, disease, heavy metals, and poor nutrition can
also diminish the brain's higher functions.
Nutritional supplements may be helpful in deterring
violent and anti-social behavior. When vitamin and minerals
were given to elementary school children with behavioral
problems, it led to a reduction in the incidence of
anti-social behavior.
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The
researchers said that "undiagnosed and untreated
malnutrition may be impairing their brain function to
such an extent that normal learning from discipline
does not occur." 3
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| Shaken
Baby Syndrome - Study |
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| Shaken
Baby Syndrome is a closed head injury. An estimated
50,000 cases of this abuse occur each year in the United
States. Twenty-five percent are fatal. But, the shaking
doesn't even have to be very violent.
Researchers at the Royal London Hospital studied the
brains of 37 babies less than a year old, who were suspected
of dying from deliberate injuries. Three-quarters of
the infants had died because of damage to a vital part
of the spinal cord that controls breathing. |
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"We
found an as yet unseen pathology focused on the craniocervical
junction, the point where the brain meets the spinal
cord," says neuropathologist Jennian Geddes. In
very young babies, this area of their brain is uniquely
vulnerable because their heads are relatively large
and heavy, but their neck muscles are still weak.
"This is a type of damage that's not been reported
before," Geddes said. It shows that you don't have
to use a lot of force to injure a baby – just
"vigorous unsupported movement of the head."
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| Sport
Injury Statistics |
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| An
estimated 300,000 cases of traumatic brain injury occur
each year from sports and recreation accidents. In a
series of articles on TBI, the Journal of the American
Medical Association (September 8, 1999) presented evidence
linking sports-related concussions with lower scores
on several tests of mental function.
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Injuries associated with 10 different team sports (5
boys' and 5 girls') were surveyed at 235 U.S. high schools.
From the data, more than 62,000 mild traumatic brain
injuries are estimated to occur each year in these sports.
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| Soccer
Players, Use Your Head – the Smart Way |
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| One
potential cause of mild traumatic brain injury that
concerns researchers and parents is the heading of soccer
balls – especially by children whose brains are
still developing. Also, because younger girls are increasingly
taking up the sport.
While little
research has been done with children and adolescents,
several studies have shown that adult soccer players
have mental deficits measured in many parameters. |
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| National
Soccer Team Head Injury - Study |
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| A
Norwegian study of active and former national soccer
team players investigated the incidence of head injuries
caused mainly by heading the ball. One-third of the
players had central cerebral atrophy, and 81% had mild
to severe deficits in attention, concentration, and
memory. Players who headed the ball more frequently
during competition had higher rates of cognitive loss.
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In
1998, Dutch researchers showed that professional soccer
players' performance on memory, planning, and visual-perceptual
tasks declined as their number of concussions and frequency
of heading the ball increased. 6 Amateur soccer players
had similar results: performing significantly more poorly
than control athletes on cognitive tests for attention,
memory, and planning abilities. 7
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| A
Message for Soccer Parents |
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| Although
most sports-related head traumas come from contact with
the ground, goalposts, or other players, heading soccer
balls is an obvious factor – especially when practiced
thousands of times during a season. A ball kicked at
full force is estimated to hit a player's head with
175 pounds of force.
"No child under the age of 14 should head the ball,"
cautions Dr. Lyle Micheli, chair of the Sports Medicine
Department at Children's Hospital in Boston.
He argues that kids have not fully developed the musculoskeletal
maturity or coordination to properly handle a header
until they're about 14 years old. Micheli also points
out that some kids in the U.S. use larger, professional-sized
soccer balls, whereas in Europe most children gradually
work up to the adult-sized ball.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee
on Sports Medicine and Fitness: "Head and facial
injuries account for 4.9% to 22% of soccer injuries,
of which approximately 20% are concussions. . . Eye
injuries are another subset of soccer-related head injuries."
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Regarding
heading, their recommendation was published in a policy
statement in the March 2000 issue of Pediatrics.
"Researchers have expressed concern about cognitive
deficits appearing in youth soccer participants after
much shorter exposure time to heading the ball. . .
The potential for permanent cognitive impairment from
heading the ball needs to be explored further. Currently,
there seems to be insufficient published data to support
a recommendation that young soccer players completely
refrain from heading the ball. However, adults who supervise
participants in youth soccer should minimize the use
of the technique of heading the ball until the potential
for permanent cognitive impairment is further delineated."
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| Football
Players – Multiple Concussions - Study |
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| A
University of North Carolina study found that football
players who suffered one concussion were three times
more likely than other players to suffer a second concussion
in the same season. This suggests that the brain is
more susceptible to injury when it has not had enough
time to recover from a first injury. |
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"We
believe recurrences are more likely because injured
players are returning to practice and to games too quickly
after blows to the head," said Dr. Kevin M. Guskiewicz,
assistant professor of exercise and sport science "Many
clinicians are not following the medical guidelines
that players should be symptom-free for several days
before returning." 8
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| Football
Players Learning and Memory Problems - Study |
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| A
1999 study of college football players found that their
learning disorders and reduced neuropsychological performance
were independently associated with multiple concussions.
Verbal learning and memory appeared to be the most sensitive
components in athletes with concussions. 9
A survey of retired professional football players found
that 60% had suffered at least one concussion during
their amateur or professional careers, and 26% reported
three or more concussions.
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A
survey of retired professional football players found
that 60% had suffered at least one concussion during
their amateur or professional careers, and 26% reported
three or more concussions.
When compared to players who had no concussions, the
group with one or more concussions reported significantly
more neurological symptoms. These included problems
with memory and concentration, confusion, speech or
hearing difficulties, numbness or tingling in extremities,
and headaches. 10
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| Sports
Head Injuries and Long Term Effects - Study |
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| A
growing body of data suggests that those who suffer
repetitive head injuries in sports may be at greater
risk for neurodegenerative diseases later in life. The
cumulative damage from successive concussions can increase
the risk of premature senility, Alzheimer's disease
, and Parkinson's disease, neurologists warn. 11
According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine, the brain has an increased vulnerability
to severe, perhaps permanent, injury for at least a
full day following a concussion.
In
a study with mice, the effects of a second brain trauma
within 24 hours seemed temporary. The mice returned
to almost normal and did well on tests of cognitive
and motor skills. |
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But,
at about 56 days, there was "a measurable breakdown
in motor skills and, subsequently, a breakdown in the
cells of the brain," said Tracy K. McIntosh, Ph.D.,
the Director of the Penn Head Injury Center.
"Our findings represent the first real attempt
to look at the science behind head injuries –
and we were startled to see how permanent the damage
can be," he said. This has serious implications
for amateur and professional athletes, as well as victims
of abuse and accidents, because permanent cognitive
damage is not immediate. The effects of repetitive head
injury may not be felt for months later.
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| Head
Injury Links to Alzheimer's Disease
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Today,
nearly half of the Americans over 85 have Alzheimer's disease
and it is estimated that 14 million Americans will have Alzheimer's
disease by the middle of this century (2050) unless a cure
or prevention is found. Meanwhile researchers continue to
unravel the mystery of this brain degenerative disease and
many have found links to head injury. 12
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| Head
Injury and Alzheimer's Disease - Study |
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link between head injury and the risk of Alzheimer's
disease (AD) is indicated by data from the MIRAGE study
(Multi-Institutional Research in Alzheimer Genetic Epidemiology).
Patients with AD were nearly ten times more likely to
have a history of head injury that resulted in loss
of consciousness. The study suggests that "head
injury with loss of consciousness and, to a lesser extent,
head injury without loss of consciousness, increased
the risk of AD." 13 |
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Research
led by Dr. Douglas H. Smith at the University of Pennsylvania
supports previous epidemiological links between a single
episode of brain trauma and the development of AD later
in life. In animal studies, scientists induced brain
injury without direct impact, similar to what humans
often experience in automobile accidents. Analysis of
damaged brain cells revealed extensive amyloid beta
and tau accumulation, as well as plaque formation –
all typical findings in Alzheimer's disease. These changes
were evident as early as 3 to 10 days after the injury.
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| Alzheimer's
Disease and Boxer's Syndrome - Study |
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| Researchers
at Penn's Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research
(CNDR) compared the brains of people with a genetic
history of Alzheimer's disease with the brains of those
with Dementia Pugilistica (DP), a memory disorder also
known as Punch Drunk – or Boxer's – Syndrome.
Abnormal tau proteins, which form fibrous tangles in
the brains of AD sufferers, are identical to the abnormal
tau proteins found in patients with DP. Although they
share the same pathology, AD and DP lesions are generally
found in different parts of the brain.
"Our
findings suggest that brain injury can cause Boxer's
Syndrome by activating mechanisms like the ones that
cause tau lesions in Alzheimer's," says M. Luise
Schmidt, Ph.D., a senior research investigator at
the CNDR. "By extension, it also suggests that
a head injury can increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's
later in life." |
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Boxers, of course, participate in a sport that exposes
them to repeated acts of brain trauma, but the researchers
stressed the need for care and protection of the brain
in any sporting activity. Even those who seem fine after
a traumatic event may not realize the injury's full
impact until years later. 15
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| Myelin
Damage and Alzheimer's Disease-Studies |
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study of myelin disorder in Alzheimer's disease indicated
an increased amount of free radical destruction. The
authors said, "The changes in myelin from humans
with Alzheimer's disease are more pronounced than in
normal aging. These changes might represent severe or
accelerated aging."16
In a 1989 Swedish examination of the autopsied brains
of people with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia,
the neuroscientists determined "the myelin sheath
is the primary lesion site." 17
A 1994 study by the same team at the University of Goteborg
concluded that membrane fats selectively diminished
in Alzheimer's brains indicate that demyelination is
a primary event in late-onset form (type II) Alzheimer's
disease.18 |
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In
the University of Pennsylvania animal study mentioned
above, analysis of brain tissue revealed diffuse axonal
pathology. The scientists concluded that this microscopic
injury to the brain caused by trauma could be linked
to the development of Alzheimer's disease many years
after the injury.
Striking personality changes can result when the pathways
between the prefrontal cortex and other regions of the
brain are impaired – due to axonal shearing and
the consequent free radical damage to the myelin sheath.
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| Serious
Head Injuries Linked To Alzheimer's Disease-Study |
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analysis of injured World War II veterans links serious
head injury in early adulthood with Alzheimer’s
disease in later life. The study by researchers at Duke
University and the National Institute on Aging also
suggests that the more severe the head injury, the greater
the risk of developing AD. |
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While
the findings do not demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect
relationship between head injury in early life and the
development of dementia, they show an association between
the two that needs to be studied further. 19
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| Early
Brain Damage and Development of Social and Moral Reasoning |
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| Children
who experience early damage in the prefrontal cortex
never completely develop social or moral reasoning.
As adults, even on an intellectual level, they cannot
refer to such behavior because they have little concept
of it. In contrast, individuals with adult-acquired
damage are usually aware of proper social and moral
conduct, but are unable to apply such behaviors.
Neurology professor Dr. Antonio Damasio and colleagues
at the University of Iowa College of Medicine reported
on two cases of early brain damage to the prefrontal
cortex. As adults, both patients showed the same two
distinctive features: an almost total lack of guilt
and an inability to plan for the future – but
were normal in almost every other type of mental ability.
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The
patients had problems with violence and resembled "psychopathic
individuals, who are characterized by high levels of
aggression and antisocial behavior performed without
guilt or empathy for their victims," commented
Raymond Dolan of Institute of Neurology in London. Their
brains were just not capable of acquiring social and
moral knowledge even at a normal level. 20
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| The
Biology of Violence-Prefrontal Cortex-Study |
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| Since
the 1980s, scientists have correlated damage to the
prefrontal cortex with psychopathic behavior and the
inability to make morally and socially acceptable decisions.
Unfortunately, this forehead region of the brain is
often the site of injury.
Researchers at the University of Sweden have found the
prefrontal cortex to be precisely the area of the brain
that is impaired in murderers, rapists, and other violent
criminals who repeatedly re-offend. At the November
1999 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience,
Asa Bergvall presented findings on their study of violent
offenders. The results were quite startling. |
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"The
violent offenders are like the controls in every task
but one, which taps prefrontal function," says
Bergvall. "In that, it was as if they were retarded."
They had an impaired ability to shift their attention
in order to view the world in a different way –
a function linked to the lateral prefrontal cortex.
Other, higher order executive functions of their prefrontal
cortex appeared to be unimpaired.
University of Southern California psychopathologist
Adrian Raine has documented prefrontal damage in people
with Antisocial Personality Disorder, which is characterized
by irresponsibility and deceitfulness, lack of emotional
depth and remorse. The antisocial men actually had 11-14%
less brain tissue volume in their prefrontal cortexes,
compared to normal males – a deficit of about
two teaspoons' worth." 21
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| Neural
Circuit Damage and Violent or Aggressive Behavior |
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The "amygdala" is
a pair of small almond-shaped structures situated between
the cerebral cortex and the limbic/emotional center
of the brain. When this neural circuit for processing
emotional information is damaged, the prefrontal cortex
cannot interpret feedback from the limbic system.
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Uninhibited
signals from the amygdala lead to free expression of
emotions, and may manifest in violent and aggressive
behavior, a common complaint following mild traumatic
brain injury. The amygdala is responsible for emotional
reactions that have to do with survival, including
our ability to learn what is fearful to us.
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| Your
Braincase |
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Like personal
tectonic plates, the human braincase is composed of
eight unique cranial bones. On either side of your
skull, layers of material help protect your brain from
normal wear and tear. On the outside are muscle, skin,
and hair. On the inside, connective tissue and fibrous
membranes do the cushioning. Within your skull, your
gelatinous brain floats in a sea of cerebrospinal fluid
that bathes and supports this precious organ, while
acting as a shock absorber during rapid head movements.
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Although the
outer surface of the skull is smooth, parts of its
inner surface are rough and jagged and can cause significant
damage in acceleration/deceleration, or "closed
head injuries." In this type of injury there may
be no external damage, but because the head abruptly
stops after being in motion, the brain rebounds back
and forth against the skull's interior bony structures.
This trauma initiates a cycle of biochemical events
responsible for the major long-term deficits associated
with brain injury.
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| Most
Vulnerable Area of the Head – Prefontal Cortex |
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Unfortunately,
the area of the head most vulnerable to injury is also
where the most fragile and crucial region of the human
brain is located. Behind your forehead lies your prefrontal
cortex , the center of your higher-order "executive
functions," as well as home to your social awareness
and moral conscience.
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Injury to
the prefrontal cortex can affect your most human qualities:
the ability to process information and solve problems;
to concentrate, remember, and learn. Damage here can
lead to personality changes that manifest in impulsive
and socially inappropriate behavior, depression, and
violence.
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| Formation
of the Prefrontal Cortex |
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The prefrontal
cortex is the last to form the deep fissures that give
the outer layer of the human brain its characteristic
cauliflower-like appearance – and its vast array
of higher functions. In the womb, this area is the
slowest to develop. After birth, brain cells in the
prefrontal cortex form connections more slowly than
any other brain area, and levels of the key neurotransmitter
dopamine rise very gradually.
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The prefrontal
cortex bestows humans with "executive functions," such
as working memory and multi-tasking.
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| Inside
the Prefrontal Cortex |
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The area above
your eyes is sometimes called the "dashboard" of
your brain. Like the dashboard of a car – where
bundles of insulated electrical wires connect to the
vehicle's other systems – your prefrontal cortex
is integrated with regions deep in your brain by bundles
of insulated nerve fibers.
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Here, a subsystem
in the prefrontal cortex (the orbitofrontal region)
is supported by sharp-edged bony protrusions of the
skull's interior. Although the protrusions do a good
job of protecting the olfactory cranial nerve, they
become a highly significant factor in brain injury
during acceleration-deceleration forces to the brain.
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| Prefrontal
Cortex Damage – Source Memory |
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Source memory
refers to remembering when or where something happened.
Although persons with prefrontal cortex damage can
recollect people, events, and facts, they may not be
able to recall when the event happened or where they
learned the fact. Their brains cannot access and integrate
the diverse aspects of a stored memory.
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Source memory
is one of the slowest types of recall to develop in
childhood, and the first to deteriorate with age. (This
may be why young children can be so easily led astray
by suggestive questioning.)
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| Prefrontal
Cortex Damage – Working Memory |
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Working memory
is a simple term for the amazingly complex ability
of your brain to temporarily hold and simultaneously
compare present sense data with past images from its
archives. Not just old factoids, these stored memories
are reanimated and imbued with the emotions that originally
created them.
Unfortunately, this higher brain function is quite vulnerable to injury.
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Although many
individuals with traumatic brain injury perform well
on standard neuropsychological tests, they often exhibit
significantly greater deficits on measures of executive
function, including an impaired working memory.
Also, in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) whose working memory
was measurably impaired, brain scans showed a decrease in blood flow to the prefrontal
(and parietal) region of the brain.
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| Brain
Injury at the Cellular Level – Axonal Injury |
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What usually
happens in brain injury at the cellular level is a
combination of primary and secondary damage known as "axonal
injury." Axons are the microscopic nerve fibers
of neurons, the brain cells that communicate with each
other. Axons form the long connecting nerve fibers
of the neural networks throughout the brain.
After a closed
head injury, the shifting and rotation of the brain
inside the skull causes a shearing injury to the brain's
complex circuitry. This axonal shearing can occur in
localized areas or throughout the brain. The latter
is called "diffuse axonal shear." Furthermore,
the brain cells particularly important to learning
and memory (cholinergic neurons), are apparently more
vulnerable to trauma than other neurotransmitter systems. |
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| Axonal
Shear |
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Axonal shear
is a microscopic tear along the myelin sheath surrounding
the nerve fiber that is often followed by microswelling
and the formation of scar tissue. According to Kit
W. Harrison, Ph.D., at the Houston Behavioral Health
Associates:
"First, the nerve fiber itself may be damaged and begin to swell. The swelling
usually acutely reduces functioning of that cell but some neurocognitive functions
may be restored soon after as swelling reduces. The process of scarring, however,
follows and can take weeks, months, or even years, to complete. As the axon scars
over, fewer and fewer impulses can be carried through the tough scar tissue,
and the axon may begin to necrotize (die) and lose connectivity function over
time. This accounts for a number of symptoms which could worsen with time."
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For the past
decade, Drs. Maxwell and Graham at the Institute of
Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow,
Scotland have focused on the effect of brain injury
at the level of the axon. They have concluded that "two
different mechanisms of injury may be occurring in
non-impact injury to the head. The first is shearing
of axons and sealing of fragmented axonal membranes
within 60 minutes. A second mechanism occurs in other
fibres where perturbation of the axon results in axonal
swelling and disconnection at a minimum of 2 hours
after injury." 22
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| Brain
Trauma Event – Calcium Enters Axons |
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Researchers
at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center have
determined that after brain trauma one of the initial
events triggering long-term problems includes a massive
flood of electrically-charged calcium atoms that enter
axons.
"It appears that that the physical motions of trauma literally tears open
proteins that act as gates on the axon membrane," explains Douglas Smith,
MD, an associate professor in the Penn Department of Neurosurgery. "We have
now found that it is the rapid flow of sodium ions through the damaged gates
that triggers a subsequent inflow of calcium ions."
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By evaluating
therapies that block the sodium channels, Smith is
convinced that the damage can be slowed down and eventually
even stopped. 23
Hours, even months, can go by after a head injury before progressive damage to
the axons becomes so severe that the neurons can no longer function.
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| Damage
to Axon Protection – Myelin |
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Myelin is
a fatty substance that coats and protects the axons.
A myelin sheath insulates these individual axons and
is crucial to the speed and accuracy of its electrochemical
impulse. If the myelin sheath is structurally damaged,
then its electrophysiological properties are disrupted,
and the electrochemical impulse will become abnormal
and uncoordinated down the length of the axon. Consequently
the information being conveyed by these nerve fibers
will be scrambled or cut off.
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Most significantly, "myelination" of
the prefrontal cortex is especially
slow – not beginning until the ninth prenatal month, and continuing as
late as the mid-twenties. That's why brain injury at an early age can be the
most devastating.
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| Recovery
and Myelin Damage |
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A key factor
in recovery time is the extent of damage to the white
matter, the myelinated neuronal axons that serve as
cables linking the different areas of the brain. When
they are injured, then vital connections needed to
allocate functions elsewhere are lost.
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"The
involvement of white matter tracts portends slower
and reduced recovery," said Dr. Keith Thulborn,
director of MR research at the University of Illinois. "This
may reflect reduced capacity to redistribute workload
when the connectivity through white matter is disrupted."
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| Bicycle
Riders, Improve Your Odds – Statistics |
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Children suffer
50,000 bicycle-related brain injuries in the U.S. each
year, and more than 400 of them die as a result. Helmets
are the single most important way to prevent a serious
head injury in a bike crash. Bicyclists who wear helmets
can reduce the severity of brain injuries by as much
as 85%, however half of all bike riders still do not
regularly wear a helmet.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the rate of head injuries
caused by bicycle accidents actually increased by 51% during the 1990s – even
as ridership declined and helmet use became more widespread.
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Factors that
account for this include more aggressive riders, more
traffic, and fewer safe places
to ride.
But don't be complacent. Helmets do not prevent accidents. To be effective, they
must be worn correctly.
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| Rugby
Players and Helmets – Statistics |
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In the rough
and tumble sport of rugby – whose players do
not wear helmets – as many as 25% of injuries
appear to involve the brain trauma of concussion.
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A quarter
of playing days lost from rugby involved such head
injuries. 24
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| Sports
and Motorcycle Helmets – Statistics |
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Helmets would
also prevent brain damage in water and winter sports.
Head injuries account for 29% of all jet-ski injuries
and 15% of sledding accidents. They are the leading
cause of death and serious injury among skiers and
snowboarders, mostly from collisions with a tree. Many
of these head injuries could be prevented if helmets
were worn.
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Motorcycle
riding has 16 times the death rate per mile compared
to automobiles. Riders without helmets are 10 times
more likely to need brain surgery due to head injury.
A 1997 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration showed that helmets do not restrict
hearing, nor do motorcyclists have trouble compensating
for any restriction of vision. When motorcyclists wear
helmets, death is reduced by 38%.
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