Mild brain injury 'more damaging than believed'RSS Feed

22 February 2010

There needs to be more effort taken to prevent mild traumatic brain injury, according to a leading medical expert.

Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair Douglas Smith is calling for doctors and researchers to pay more attention to mild brain injury, commonly called concussion, which he believes is a major health issue.

Recent findings by Mr Smith, who is also professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania, suggest that mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can cause changes in white brain matter.

Protein markers for brain pathology have also been identified in patients suffering concussion and other forms of mTBI.

Professor Smith, who is preparing to present his to other health professionals, believes that mTBI contributes to persistent neurological and cognitive problems in many sufferers.

He said: "This is not inconsequential.

"Indeed, the observation that brain pathology can be detected after a concussion calls for much more extensive efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat mild traumatic brain injury."

His comments follow research by scientists at the Brain Injury Research Center which suggests that brains may not be receiving the appropriate nutrients following severe trauma to aid recovery.

News from Serious Law, specialist acquired brain injury solicitors ADNFCR-2547-ID-19628029-ADNFCR