Even Minor Brain Injuries Leave Brain Damage

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Bicycle Safety

A recent study by Newcastle University reveals that even mild brain injuries can cause brain damage. Researchers compared 53 people with brain injuries – 44 had mild brain injuries and 9 had moderate injuries – to 33 people who had no brain injuries. Ages of the participants ranged from 16 to 68 years of age.

Each group of people was tested in thinking and memory skills. They also all received a diffusion tensor imaging scan, a more powerful scan than typical MRIs used to detect damage to brain cells. The participants who had been injured received their scans within six days of being injured.

People who had received even minor brain injuries scored 25 percent lower in the memory and thinking skills testing than people who had no brain injuries. Additionally, the scans of those with injuries revealed injuries to the parts of the brain matter that allows brain cells to transmit message to other brain cells.

One year later, 23 of the injured participants also went through testing and the scan again. Their scores for memory and thinking tests were the same as those participants without brain injuries. However, their scans revealed that some brain damage was still present. In the study’s report, which was published in the Journal of Neurology, the lead researcher wrote that these results of recovery show that the brain may be compensating for the injuries.

Most studies that are done on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) usually focus on more severe injuries, such as those that occur in serious vehicle crashes, football players, and soldiers in combat. However, over 90 percent of brain injuries that occur are mild to moderate injuries, such as the ones that can occur from falling off a bicycle. In light of the results of the study, people should be aware of how important it is to wear a bicycle helmet when riding.