Minor TBI may cause permanent brain damage. | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A study that was conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom found it is not only severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI)  which may result in brain damage. Researchers discovered that even people who receive minor brain injuries can end up suffering with some type of permanent damage to the brain.

The study included nine people who had moderate TBIs, 44 people who had mild TBIs and 33 people who had suffered no brain injuries. The participants were between 16 to 68 years old. They were all tested in memory and thinking skills. As expected, the group with moderate TBIs scored lower in their tests, however, even the group of people who had minor TBIs scored 25 percent lower in their testing than the group with no brain injuries.

Each group also underwent a diffusion tensor imaging scan (more powerful than an MRI). The scans of those people with brain injuries revealed injury to the parts of the brain that directs brain cells to transmit messages to other brain cells. A year later, 23 of the minor TBI group were retested and had new scans. Although their test scores rose, their scans still revealed brain damage.

The long-term side-effects that result from a TBI, even a mild one, can be devastating, and can include seizures, epilepsy, reduced memory and/or motor skills, and more. Many TBI victims face astronomical medical bills and often require long-term health care.

If you or someone in your family has received a traumatic brain injury in an accident, contact a Virginia personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have.