Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A TBI is an injury to the brain caused by something outside the body. It is different from a stroke, which is caused by something inside the body: weak blood vessels, blood clots, etc. There are many things that can cause a TBI. Some of them are: a car crash; a hit to the head with a bat, bottle, or other object; hitting the head during a fall; or a gunshot wound to the head.
There are two types of TBI:
- Closed head injuries happen when the brain is damaged without opening the skull. Damage to the brain is caused by bruising and bleeding within the brain, tearing and stretching of nerve cells, swelling of the brain, and the building up of extra fluid.
- Penetrating (open) head injuries happen when a sharp object goes through the skull and enters the brain tissue. Examples of objects that can cause a penetrating brain injury are a bullet, a sword, and a knife. In these cases, the most damage occurs to the part of the brain that the object goes through. But damage to other parts of the brain can occur because of bleeding and swelling.
What is PTA?
PTA stands for post traumatic amnesia. This is a period of confusion that follows the injury. It is normal for people to not remember the events that occurred right before or right after their injury. However, people differ with respect to how long the period of confusion lasts after injury. It may last for minutes, hours, days, or weeks. During PTA, people are usually unable to make new memories. They may be unable to remember what happened to them, where they are, or what they did a few minutes ago. One way to judge the severity of an injury is by how long the post-traumatic amnesia lasts. The longer the person is confused and not remembering information, the worse the injury.
What is GCS?
The Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) is a tool that measures how severe an injury has been. It is often used in hospitals. It is a way to measure if a person responds to their environment. This indicates the degree to which they are unconscious. The GCS looks at three things: eye opening (does the person open their eyes when asked?), motor responses (do they move when asked?), and verbal responses (can they tell the doctors where they are?). The GCS score can range from 3 to 15. A higher GCS scores means the injury is less severe.
Will I continue to recover from my TBI after 18 months?
While the rate of recovery can be different for everyone, there are some general rules. The fastest improvements usually happen in the first 6 months. Improvements can continue for 1 to 2 years after injury, but they are usually more gradual than in the first 6 months. Most professionals agree that people usually show little change after two years, although many people can continue to make changes in the way they function by using strategies and supports. Most people continue to have some problems, although they may not be as bad as they were early after injury. Some common problems that tend to last longer are slowed thinking, memory and attention problems, and problems getting organized. However, many people are able to return to their activities in spite of problems. For example, people may go back to work, return to school, take care of their household, or return to other activities that they did before injury.
How well someone does after injury is dependent upon how severe the injury is, what part of the brain in damaged, the strategies used to get around problems, and the support that a person has.
Can you find me a job?
No, our project is not designed to help people find jobs. The best resource for vocational rehabilitation services for people with traumatic brain injury is the Vocational Rehabilitation offices within each state. In Texas, this office is called the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitation Services. For a complete list of the Vocational Rehabilitation Offices in each state, go to the internet link of the Job Accommodation Network at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
