The five most common causes are:
- Road Traffic Accidents
- Assaults
- Falls
- Industrial Injuries
- Sports Injuries
- Infection
- Stroke
- Haemorraghic bleed
- Progressive neurological condition
Traumatic brain injury is the largest cause of disability in young males in Europe, on average 80% of all traumatic brain injury cases are male. The average age of a person with a traumatic brain injury is 26, indicating the possibility of a lifetime of disability. As the brain is the most complex and least understood human organ, recovery from a brain injury is often difficult to predict. Brain injury is sometimes referred to as the 'hidden disability' - The effects are not always obvious to other people. The effects on an individual vary from person to person, possible consequences are listed below:
Cognitive problems may include:
- Poor memory
- Reduced concentration and attention span
- Difficulty solving problems
- Mood changes possibly including irritability or anger
- Restlessness
- Over emotional
- Limb weakness
- Poor balance
- Speech problems
- Fatigue
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Sensory problems e.g. visual disturbances, oversensitive hearing, poor sense of smell, headaches
The role of rehabilitation in brain injury is to asses the effects of the brain injury on the individual, to build on the persons abilities to overcome the problems, to relearn new techniques and adapt the environment to increase independence. Modern rehabilitation techniques include setting realistic and achievable aims and objectives throughout the case management process.