Progression of Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
In the previous posts, Chicago brain injury attorneys have been discussing traumatic brain injuries. In this post, the three successive stages will be explained of severe brain injuries. Generally, symptoms of brain injury symptoms will progress through three successive stages:
- Coma
- Post-traumatic amnesia
- Recovery
Severe traumatic brain injuries generally result in a loss of consciousness, known as a coma. When in a coma, the individual shows no reaction when spoken to or touched and his or her eyes are closed. A coma can be brief or last for an extended period of time. The longer an individual remains in a coma, the greater the chance for permanent neurological damage. Illinois brain injury lawyers have represented many individuals who have recovered from a coma yet still suffer side effects from the injury.
The post-traumatic amnesia stage occurs when in individual attempts to communicate and responds with purposeful movement. Responding to commands such as closing the eyes or lifting a limb, speaking and gesturing are characteristics of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). During this stage, concentrating long enough to remember things is difficult. Chicago personal injury attorneys list the following common symptoms of PTA following a brain injury:
- Difficulty performing tasks such as reciting days of the week, months of the year or counting
- Answering the same question with different responses
- Inability to remember what happened in recent minutes, hours or days
- Staring blankly
- Losing train of thought quickly
- Attention shifts from one subject to another
This state of confusion is mainly cognitive impairment; thinking, perception, remembering and concentration. Disinhibition, behavior changes and impulsivity are common among individuals during this stage.
The recovery phase begins when a person begins to retain information. Depending on which areas of the brain were damaged, this stage can last weeks, months or years. Improvement can occur rapidly at first and generally slows until a recovery plateau has been reached.
Not all individuals recover from a traumatic brain injury. For those that do, the process may take years. If you have been the victim of any type of head injury, contact a competent Illinois brain injury lawyer today.
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