Levin, Benton, Muizelaar & Eisenberg: Catastrophic Brain Injury

Editors:

• HARVEY S. LEVIN, University of Maryland,
• ARTHUR L. BENTON, University of Iowa,
• J. PAUL MUIZELAAR, Wayne State University, and
• HOWARD M. EISENBERG

This book provides a superb integration of clinical and research findings on catastrophic brain injury. The clinical chapters address the definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and outcome of the most severe closed head injuries. They cover cerebral metabolism following catastrophic brain injury, medical management, pharmacologic treatment for survivors, the impact on the family, and legal and ethical issues. The chapters on experimental research include reviews of recent advances in characterizing neurochemical interactions contributing to secondary brain injury and of experimental studies of the effects of neural transplantation on cognitive performance in animals. A summary chapter provides an update concerning ongoing clinical trail to evaluate the efficacy of drugs and hypothermia in the treatment of acute severe head injury, and offers a perspective on future directions of research to mitigate the consequences of severe head injury.

Contents:

1. Clinical and Pathological Features of Vegetative Survival, B. Jemmett
2. Epidemiology of Catastrophic Brain Injury, K. Higashi
3. Vegetative State after Head Injury: Findings from the Traumatic Coma Data Bank, H.S. Levin and H.M. Eisenberg
4. Cerebral Function Following Catastrophic Brain Injury: Relevance of Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography, W. Oder, I. Podreka, J. Spatt, and G. Goldenberg
5. Medical Problems in the Management of Catastrophic Brain Injury, Z. Grosswasswer
6. Pharmacologic Treatment for Survivors of Severe Brain Injury, B. A. Wroblewski and M.B. Glenn
7. Cognitive and Linguistic Outcome, B.H. Bensicen and A.L. Benton
8. Moral, Ethical and Legal Issues Raised by Catastrophic Brain Injury, H.R. Beresford
9. Family Perceptions and Family Reactions: Reconsidering “Denial”, M.D. Lezak
10. Neurochemical Changes in Traumatic Brain Injury, R.L. Hayes
11. Tissue Transplantation, S. B. Dunnett
12. Advances in Experimental Research and Clinical Intervention for Catastrophic Brain Injury: The Early 21st Century, J.P. Muizelaar and P. Dore-Cuffy

1995
288 pp.; 14 illus.
NEXT: Evans.

Understanding Subtle Brain Injury

The concussions that disable, are almost always more symptomatic at 24 hours, than at the 2-4 hour time frame when injured persons are evaluated in the emergency room. Brain injury symptoms escalate over the first 24 hours, because brain injury involves a cascade of events. It is critical that if you are still symptomatic the day after your injury, go back to the same Emergency Room, don’t wait for a doctors appointment. It is critical that the Emergency Room personnel see that the symptoms still persist or have gotten worse.

View Our Video Series on Concussions