FUTURE COMPLICATION FROM TBI INCREASED DEMENTIA RISK – MN LAWYERS
Our MN attorneys represented people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after being hit in the head in an accident. The TBI can result from a car accident, slip and fall, or workers compensation accident. One question the brain injury attorney is always asked is the future prognosis of the victim. That is a question better addressed by the doctors. However, an article in the online Medical News Today recently examined one aspect of future complications from a TBI. The focus was on middle aged people. Here is a part of the article:
Researchers have linked moderate to severe TBI with greater risk of dementia. Middle-aged adults who experience a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury may be at significantly greater risk of developing dementia in later life, a new study suggests.
Traumatic brain injury(TBI) is defined as a blow to the head that causes damage to the brain. Symptoms of TBI may include headache, blurry vision, and fatigue. Also, thinking problems, such as difficulty concentrating or remembering new information. In severe cases, TBI may lead to long-term deficits in cognitive and motor functions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), TBI played a role in more than 2.5 million emergency department visits and 282,000 hospitalizations in the United States last year. Further, around 5.3 million people in the U.S. are living with a disability because of TBI.
Middle-aged men at greatest risk after TBI – MN Injury Attorney
The study included the data of 40,639 adults aged between 18 and 65 years, all of whom had been hospitalized for either a mild or moderate to severe TBI. Using the Finnish Care Register for Health Care, the researchers pinpointed which participants had been hospitalized for dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or ALS after their TBI.
The data revealed that 3.5 percent of subjects who had a moderate to severe TBI went on to receive a dementia diagnosis. This compared with 1.6 percent of subjects who had a mild TBI. The researchers found that participants who experienced a moderate to severe TBI from an accident were 90 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those who had a mild TBI. Dementia risk was highest for adults whose moderate to severe TBI occurred between the ages of 41 and 50. Middle-aged men were more likely to develop the neurodegenerative disease than middle-aged women.
TBI patients need long-term monitoring
Dementia has become one of the biggest health burdens of our time. It affects more than 47 million people worldwide. By 2030, this number is expected to rise to 75 million.
Dr. Raj and colleagues believe their findings indicate that TBI sparks a process that leads to dementia later in life. However, further studies are needed to pinpoint the exact mechanisms behind this process. “It is a tragedy when an adult of working age develops dementia after recovering from a brain injury. If effects not just the patient and their families, but it also negatively impacts the whole society,” says Dr. Raj. “In the future, it will be increasingly important to prevent TBIs and to develop rehabilitation and long-term monitoring for TBI patients.”
If you have sustained a TBI Traumatic Brain Injury or concussion from a car accident or other accident in Minnesota, please call us and speak with an experienced attorney. The consultation is free.
Our MN TBI accident lawyers have more than 25 years’ experience. We have successfully represented hundreds of people injured in an auto accident and other types of accident throughout MN. We have offices in Edina, Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and Woodbury. Our brain injury lawyers also meet at the accident victim’s home or hospital throughout Minnesota. You can meet with an attorney to discuss your TBI case and future issues that may arise.