brain injuries

Published on: December 6, 2023

Brain Injury Tied to Higher Depression Risk in Women

Traumatic brain injury of the kind that is often sustained in car accidents, trucking accident as well as slip and fall accidents is linked to several health consequences, including mental health symptoms like depression. A new study finds that women may be at a much higher risk of suffering depression after a traumatic brain injury, compared to men.

Researchers recently analyzed 9 studies on traumatic brain injury and related depression, and found that women had a risk of suffering depression after a personal injury that was as much as 50% higher than the risk for men. The analysis focused on more than 700,000 people who suffered a traumatic brain injury, including more than 360,000 women. Out of these, approximately 29% or 104,000 women reported depression after the injury. In contrast, 332,000 men suffered a brain injury in the study, and out of these, 72,000 or 22% reported depression in the months after the injury.

The researchers have been unable to speculate about the reasons for this difference between men and women, but the fact is that women seem to be at a much higher overall risk of suffering depression compared to men. Among older women, for instance, the top cause of depression is traumatic brain injury and the biggest cause of brain injury in women is slip and fall accidents. The researchers believe that it is important for physicians treating older women or any women suffering from brain injury to caution them about their risks for depression.

Published on: October 16, 2023

Brain Injuries May Impact Cardiac Health

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

We know a lot about the impact of brain injuries on certain areas of a person’s life, including his mental health and cognitive functioning. A new study finds that a traumatic brain injury – like the kind that results after a motorcycle accident – could also significantly impact a person’s cardiac health, leaving him exposed to the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

According to researchers, there are a number of risk factors after a brain injury that may increase the person’s risk of suffering heart conditions after this type of personal injury. These factors include neuroinflammation, problems with the nervous system and other post -injury symptoms that could significantly impact cardiovascular functioning. This could place the person at risk of suffering conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

In fact, the researchers believe that cardiovascular and endocrine disruption may impact a person’s quality of life and affect his survival rates for decades after the injury. They also believe that there has not been enough research into the long – term cardiovascular effects after a brain injury, with the result that we are likely underestimating the impact of these effects on survival rates.

Published on: March 21, 2023

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An estimated 2.8 million Americans suffer from a brain injury every year, and more than 5 million Americans currently live with a disability that has been caused by a brain injury. Since 2021 and right through 2023, the Brain injury Association of America has been commemorating Brain Injury Awareness Month in the month of March with the theme “More Than My Brain Injury. “

According to the Brain injury Association of America, an overwhelming majority of all brain injuries are caused as a result of falls. An estimated 47% of all traumatic brain injuries every year are caused by falls, with car accidents accounting for the second highest number of brain injuries at 13%. Approximately 17% of traumatic brain injuries are caused when a person is struck by an object, while 8% are the result of violent assaults. Other causes of brain injury include medical malpractice.

Whatever the cause of the brain injury, these are some of the most common serious personal injuries in the United States, and also some of the most misunderstood. The Brain Injury Association of America estimates that as many as one in 60 people suffers from a disability resulting from a brain injury. This means that it is highly likely that you know someone who suffers from cognitive deficits, memory problems, difficulties in concentration and a variety of other disabilities as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Published on: February 13, 2023

Study: Head Injury can Hasten Death

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There are a number of complications that are associated with suffering a head injury, and one of these, according to a new study, is an increased chance of dying, with the risk having doubled over a period of 3 decades.

We know of some of the more common consequences of head injury including memory loss, attention and concentration difficulties, and cognitive deficits. Head injuries have also been linked to other long-term disabilities including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, early onset dementia and stroke. All of these are long term consequences can seriously impact the quality of a person’s life.

However, there is one serious consequence of a head injury that does not attract as much attention – the effect of the brain injury on the person’s life expectancy. A new study probed the effects of a head injury on a person’s life expectancy, and found that a head injury could increase the risk of death over a period of 30 years. In some cases, the risk of death increased by two or even three times the risk without a head injury.