Some Causes and Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injuries
KAYLE SANDBERG-LEWIS, BCN-Fellow, M.A., LMT
The general perception of traumatic brain injuries [TBIs] is that they result from one profoundly obvious single event - like in the movies - and are only serious if a person goes into a coma. Yes, this kind of TBI occurs all too often, but there are more complex ways to injure the brain. Most people - including practitioners - are blind to the possibility of more benign causes of brain injuries. It is much more common for people to be affected by one or more relatively innocuous "non-events" than land in the hospital in a coma and on life support.
For example, people generally make no association between a low impact fender bender and the subsequent fog, body pain and/or personality changes they eventually experience. Most brain injuries occur without loss of consciousness and it is relatively rare for someone with such a brain injury to seek medical attention at the time of the event. Much later, after symptoms have become too obvious to ignore, people go to their doctors with a constellation of complaints that will most likely not be linked back to the accident.
Common Causes of Brain Injuries and examples of events:
Direct Blow or Compression to the Head
Soccer balls
Coming up under a shelf
Broken nose
“Knocking heads” when diving for a ball
Traumatic forceps delivery
Flexion/Extension (whiplash) Injury and other vehicle crashes
Even fender benders under 5 miles/hour can damage neurons
Need not hit head against the dashboard or airbags
Exposure to Nearby Explosion
Most likely in a military situation
Can occur when near some fireworks
Stroke
Including “mini” strokes or TIAs
Subarachnoid hemorrhages
Toxic Chemical Exposure
Lack of Oxygen or Near Drowning Experience
Umbilical cord wrapped around the neck during labor/delivery
An exceedingly long labor
Aspiration into the lungs
Repetitive "Bonks" & "Knocks"
Each TBI makes the next more likely - depth perception and sensory processing may be affected, making poor choices more likely to contribute to the next injury.
Recreational Accidents
Flying out of a swing and landing abruptly
Falling from a climbing structure
Football, basketball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse
Falling from a bicycle
Being “bounced” on a seesaw.
Skiing/snowboarding accidents
Being hit by the boom on a sailboat
Falling from or being kicked by a horse
Domestic Violence
Changes in Behavior:
None of the above really matters if the person’s behavior or experience is not changed. Changes are generally more obvious in adults than children. Kids are often changing their interests, friends and hobbies, so such things will not be as indicative as changes in their nature and temperament. Were they once curious & now disengaged? Were they happy-go-lucky but are now depressed? Were they once prudent but now take insane risks? In teenagers it is common to blame hormones for such changes, but I consider that an easy out. Teenagers may be particularly fearful of what they are experiencing and hesitant to ask for help.
As I mentioned above with the hypothetical fender bender, mental, emotional and physical changes are typical with TBIs.
Some Potential Consequences of TBIs:
Anxiety
Impaired Motor Function
There is a strong correlation between TBIs and later onset of Parkinson's symptoms
Panic
A panic attack tends to hit out of the blue and is often interpreted by the person as a heart attack
Depression and Lack of Energy
Both emotional and physical - loss of interest in things that were formerly enjoyable
Disrupted Sleep Patterns
Can be poor sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance
Narcolepsy
Some simply can’t sleep at all
Irritability
The fuse is shorter and a formerly good humored person becomes “gritchy”
Change in Impulse Control
People may lose all sexual inhibitions
On the other hand, they may lose all interest in sex - either can be devastating for a relationship
Impulse purchases have been known to wipe out family savings
Formerly circumspect people may become thoughtlessly outspoken, unknowingly insulting or offending others
Chronic Pain/Fibromyalgia
Head pain including migraines
Onset is often months or years after an injury
Rapidly Shifting Emotions
One minute elated and the next distraught may be mistaken for bipolar disorder.
ADD/ADHD Symptoms
Poor focus and distractibility
Hyper-focus
Hyperactivity
If an adult is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD but had no history of this as a child, it is undoubtedly due to a TBI.
Explosiveness or Rage
Hair-trigger reactions to what others consider benign stimuli
Confusion
Feeling like they just didn’t get the manual - things are now somewhat nonsensical
Requiring a great deal of explanation
Disorganization
People who were once able to track all their paperwork or keep their work/personal space tidy lose this skill.
Some people will lose their sense of direction and become lost while driving or walking
Neuropathy
Memory Loss
There is a high correlation between TBIs and development of Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia
Hypertension
Tinnitus
There are many causes of tinnitus. It alone is not indicative of TBI unless one can trace its origin to a specific incident
Speech Impediments
TBIs can feel contagious:
By that I mean that living with a person who has had one or more TBIs can be a tremendous challenge. The person you knew and relied upon has changed in mysterious ways. A TBI will almost certainly shift the dynamics of your relationship and you may find yourself taking on new roles and feeling lost.
Kayle Sandberg-Lewis holds a M.A. in Behavioral Medicine, the study of how what we do affects our well-being. She has over three decades experience in stress management and is board certified in neurofeedback, which she introduced to her practice in 1996. Kayle co-founded Hive Mind Medicine in 2019, where she currently offers neurofeedback to her clients. Telehealth consults are available.
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