Q: What does the brain do and how does it work?

The brain is the control centre for all the body’s functions such as walking, talking, swallowing, breathing, taste, smell, heart-rate, and so on. It also controls all of our ‘thinking’ functions, our emotions, how we behave and all of our intellectual (cognitive) activities; such as how we attend to things, how we perceive and understand our world and its physical surroundings, how we learn and remember and so on. Everything in Fact! It follows therefore, that damage to the brain for whatever reason can impair some or all of these functions or activities. How much impairment a person will have will depend on the type, location and severity of the injury.

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Q: How does the brain get damaged in a ‘traumatic brain injury?’

A traumatic brain injury is not usually caused by one event but by a series of events. These usually classified as Primary and Secondary events. The primary event is direct damage to the brain at the point of impact. The secondary event refers to the complications that may arise in the minutes, hours and days following the impact –due to a lack of oxygen and the relation of the brain to the initial insult.

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Q: What is a Coma?

When we hear the word ‘coma’ many of us think of a person in a state of complete unawareness. In reality, coma simply means unconsciousness, of which there are varying levels.

The injured person may be in a deep unconscious state where no amount of stimulation will elicit a response. However, in other cases a person who is in a coma may move, make noises or respond to stimulation.

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Q: What is post-traumatic amnesia (PTA)?

Amnesia refers to memory loss. Post –traumatic amnesia is a particular kind of memory loss that lasts for a specific amount of time following an injury. It can be for minutes, hours, days or weeks, during which time the injured person can be disorientated and unable to combine continuous memories or events. They can get on with everyday things such as having breakfast, washing and son on , but they are not really ‘awake’ so cannot remember doing these things. Similarly, people in this state can engage in conversation as if they are awake. However, they are not fully awake so may forget that they have seen you. There may be a permanent memory loss of events immediately prior to the accident and of the accident itself.

The duration of PTA is considered the best indicator of long-term effects following brain injury. The more severe the injury then the more likely it is that the person will experience significant long-term physical, emotional and cognitive problems. Coma and PTA are both early indicators and can only provide an educated guess about eventual recovery. There are many people who make a better or faster than predicted recovery as there are those who do worse than expected.

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Q: What are the consequences of brain injury?

Depending on the nature and severity of the injury the consequences of a brain injury can range from quite subtle (or temporary impairments in thinking and behavior), to permanent cognitive impairments and personality changes. These can be devastating for both the injured person and their families and friends

BACK TO TOP Skills & Functions Associated with the Lobes of the Brain. Changes observed after Brain Injury
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