There is certainly a lot of interest in concussions these days between big-screen movies, football, and other sports-related injuries. Concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are interchangeable. Though mTBI is NOT the first thing we think about in a low-speed motor vehicle collision (MVC), it does happen. So how often do MVC-related TBIs occur? How does one know they have it and is it usually permanent or long-lasting?
Interesting Statistics
- 1) The incidence rate of fatal and hospitalizedTBI in 1994 estimates to be 91/100,000 (~1%)
- 2) Each year in the United States, for every person who dies from a brain injury, five are admitted to hospitals and an additional 26 seek treatment for TBI
- 3) About 80% of TBIs are mild (mTBI)
- 4) Many mTBIs results from MVCs, but little is known or reported about the crash characteristics.
- 5) The majority (about 80%) of mTBI improve within three months, while 20% have symptoms for more than six months that can include memory issues, depression, and cognitive difficulty (formulating thoughts and staying on task).
TBI with no resolution and long-term is “post-concussive syndrome.” In one study, researchers view car crash victims who receive admission into the hospital. 37.7% have a diagnosis of TBI. The majority (79%) were minor by a tool, Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS), with a score of one or two (out of a possible six) for head injuries. Mild TBIs occur more often in women, younger drivers, and those wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Mild TBI is also more prevalent in frontal vs. lateral (“T-bone”) crashes.
Do you have mTBI?
We don’t think about our brains being injured in a car crash as much as we do other areas of our bodies. In fact, MOST patients only talk about their pain. Their chiropractor has to specifically ask them about their brain-related symptoms.
How do you know if you have mTBI? An instrument called the Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire can be helpful as a screen. You can take the questionnaire many times as you treat to monitor improvement. Why does mTBI persist in the “unlucky” 20%? Advanced imaging has come a long way in helping show nerve damage associated with TBI such as DTI (diffuse tensor imaging), but it’s not quite yet readily available. Functional MRI (fMRI) and a type of PET scanning (FDG-PET) help as well, but brain profusion SPECT, which measures the blood flow within the brain and activity patterns at this time, seems the most sensitive.
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