Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is caused by trauma to
the head, can impact many of the body's normal functions,
including its ability to maintain balance. Balance
disorders (also known as balance dysfunctions or balance
impairments) are common following brain injury. Compared to
other conditions that also result in balance disorders
(such as strokes), relatively few studies have been done
regarding the effects of TBI on balance. Fortunately, this
is changing.
Symptoms of Balance Disorders
Balance disorders occur, at least temporarily, in nearly
all people who have suffered a TBI. This instability can
exist even when neurological tests do not detect any
problems.
Common symptoms of balance dysfunctions include:
* Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, woozy or a sensation of
spinning (vertigo)
* Burred vision
* Falling or unsteady gait (feeling of falling)
Diagnosing Balance Disorders
Maintaining balance is a complex multifunctional process
that involves interplay between three systems:
* Vestibular system (the inner ear balance organs)
* Visual system (eyes)
* Somatosenory system (joint and muscle receptors or
sensors)
Normally, the brain receives and processes information
about the environment and these systems work together to
control balance. The Sensory Organization Test (SOT) is the
primary test that assesses balance impairment by evaluating
each of the three balance systems. Balance Impairment and
Severity of Traumatic Brain Injury
The severity of TBI is determined using several measures
such as:
* Glasgow Coma Test
* Length of unconsciousness (time in a coma)
* Length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA)
For TBI patients beginning rehabilitation, there is a
significant relationship between TBI severity and degree of
sitting and standing balance impairment. Patients with more
severe TBI ratings also have more impaired balance ratings.
Recovery from Balance Disorders Caused by Traumatic Brain
Injury
A study at Wayne State University found that the degree of
balance impairment for brain-damaged patients (specifically
sitting balance impairment), measured at time of admission
to rehabilitation can predict the Functional Independence
Measure (FIM) at discharge. FIM measures the degree to
which recovering patients can live independently after
discharge. This study underscores the relationship between
brain injury severity, balance impairment, and the
prognosis for TBI recovery.
For cases of mild traumatic brain injury in which there was
no loss of consciousness and no clinically detectable
problems, balance impairments (as measured by performance
on the Sensory Organization Test), usually last from 3 to
10 days. However, subtle balance impairments that are
harder to detect, such as abnormally high reliance on
vision for maintaining balance, can persist for months or
years.
Individual treatment plans for balance disorders may
include balance retraining exercises, general exercise, and
certain drugs. Recovery takes time and recovery times vary.
Some brain-injured people require assistance for years. If
you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you may
wish to contact an experienced TBI attorney to help you
assess your claim and gain compensation for your medical
expenses, future medical care, and the pain and suffering
that brain damage and brain injury can cause.
----------------------------------------------------
LegalView.com is your source for everything legal on the
web. Visit Legalview at http://www.legalview.com for access
to a complete legal database, including a free attorney
referral service. Using the service, visitors can use
resources to contact attorneys for a variety of legal
issues, such as a mesothelioma lawyer or auto accident
lawyer. Visitors can locate a brain injury lawyer at
http://brain-injury.legalview.com/ .
No comments:
Post a Comment