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The Structure of the Neuron

Posted on October 4th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

The neuron is made up of several different components, but the portion of it which is most exposed to injury in a shear mechanism is the axon, the long thin protrusion which can extend substantial distances across different layers of the brain. The primary role of a neuron is for..
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Diffuse TBI – DAI

Posted on October 3rd, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

Brain injury can be both focal or diffuse, when diffuse it takes four principal forms, although only three of these forms involve patients who have any chance of survival. Diffuse axonal brain injury; for more information, click here. Diffuse hypoxic/anoxic/ischemic injury; Diffuse swelling and Diffuse vascular injury. Diffuse axonal injury..
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Books On The Biomechanics Of Head Injury Released

Posted on October 2nd, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

For those interested in nuts-and-bolts information on the biomechanics of head injury, the publisher SAE International has released a three-volume work on the topic. ‘Head Injury Biomechanics,’ Edited by Jeffrey A. Pike, is aimed at those studying head injury from a broad range of causes, including transportation, falls, sports, personal violence..
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Amnesia Victim Chronicles Plight In His Memoir ‘My Life, Deleted’

Posted on September 25th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

Popular culture, both films and TV shows, have often used amnesia as a dramatic plot device. But when this kind of thing happens in reality, it proves to be a cruel twist of fate for all those involved. Such was the case with Scott Bolzan, a former pro football player and jet-company official. Bolzan’s..
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Focal Brain Injuries

Posted on September 20th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

Diffuse versus Focal Injuries: “Contact phenomenon”, typically result in what is called a “focal” brain injury as opposed to a “diffuse” brain injury. The term “diffuse” is used to describe the situation where the pathology is spread throughout the brain. Focal Brain Injuries: Focal injuries are typically large enough that..
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Internal Mechanisms of Brain Injury

Posted on September 19th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

While we often picture the brain being injured as a result of the external force on the head, it is what happens inside the skull, which causes the “closed head injury”. The term “closed head injury” means an injury to the brain where the skull is not broken or penetrated...
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Mechanisms of Brain Injury

Posted on September 16th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

There are many events which can result in brain injury, such as a blow to the head, the head striking an object, a penetration of the skull such as in a gunshot, or particularly relevant to auto accident cases, by rapid acceleration and deceleration of the brain. In each of..
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Grades of Concussions

Posted on September 12th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

“There is no such thing as a minor concussion.” – American Academy of Neurology. The AAN defines concussion as a “alteration of mental status due to a biomechanical forces affecting the brain.” The AAN definition does not require a loss of consciousness. The AAN guidelines, break down concussion into three..
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After A Concussion, Filling In A Memory Loss With A GPS

Posted on September 10th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

A veteran cyclist, who couldn’ t remember how and why he crashed while riding among the redwoods in California, found a way to put together the pieces. He used his GPS. John Markoff wrote a first-person story for The New York Times last week about the memory loss he suffered after..
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Focal neurological deficit

Posted on September 9th, 2011 · Posted in Brain Injury

The last alternative of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Acute Event element, is the focal neurological deficit. Focal, (meaning restricted to one particular part of the body), neurological deficit, (meaning something wrong in the way in which the nervous system is responding), is the one element that the best..
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