Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most severe injuries possible in a car crash. Not only do they often lead to major medical bills, but they can also have a negative impact on someone’s quality of life. A TBI can change someone’s mood or personality. It can alter their sensory perception. It can cause cognitive challenges, including memory issues. Some people even have motor function symptoms, such as a loss of equilibrium. Someone with a brain injury may struggle to return to work and could experience a major shift in their closest relationships.
Part of what makes a brain injury so catastrophic is that these kinds of harm generally don’t respond very well to treatment. Thankfully, there have been some major advances in the medical options for someone with a TBI in recent years.
Symptom treatment has improved
The treatment options for a TBI remain relatively limited. In moderate or severe TBI cases, doctors may perform surgery to reduce pressure inside the skull, remove penetrating items and facilitate better healing. Rehabilitation services are also common, as people may need to relearn how to perform certain functions. There have been very few concrete advances in the standard treatments available, although research into bone marrow stromal cells could eventually help the body heal TBIs.
One of the most exciting possible advances in TBI treatment relates to the cognitive impairment some people experience with brain injuries. Researchers have used implanted devices to provide electric stimulation when someone experiences issues with recollection related to a brain injury. The implanted device goes behind someone’s ear and can potentially help them recall information that they would otherwise be unable to remember. Researchers working with a very small pool of patients found that electric stimulation decreased their cognitive impairment related to memory by roughly half.
Other promising advances include improvements in microsurgery and robotic surgery that may help people minimize the lasting damage they have after a TBI. The newest and most promising treatments can be very expensive. Many people would not be able to afford such care for a TBI, especially if they cannot work because of their injuries. Filing a personal injury lawsuit against an at-fault party can be one way of accessing the best medical care available to treat a TBI or other severe injury caused by a car crash.