The Effect of Normal Sleep on Traumatic Brain Injury
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks traumatic brain injury lawyer. The road back to health after a traumatic brain injury can be arduous, but researchers have found that restoring brain function may be linked to restoring the sleep wake cycle. By researching the trauma of sleep cycle disruption and its recovery, scientists are hoping to find ways to hasten cognitive brain function health.
The Study
The study was done at the University of Montreal where 30 acute-phase patients who suffered severe to moderate TBI were selected. The patients were roughly 21 days post injury. Assessment of consciousness and cognitive function was documented using the Rancho Los Amigos scale. Sleep was monitored by the use of wrist actigraphs that evaluated sleep movement over time, showing when patients were sleeping and when they were awake. A correlation was found between the conscious/cognitive level and the quality of the sleep/wake cycle. The return to a normal sleep/wake cycle spanning 24 hours, including nighttime sleep, indicates improved cognitive function.
Details
A professor at the University of Montreal and its lead author stressed that in early TBI sleep is radically disturbed. She explained that patients usually sleep for minutes followed by wakefulness as well as the presence of daytime sleepiness and nighttime wakefulness.
As cognitive function improves, the sleep cycle is also restored. Since sleep is associated with the formation of new neuron connections and new neurons, sleep is vital for improvement after a TBI. A professor postulated that if sleep cycle improvement could be therapeutically advanced, cognitive function might also be hastened.
How the Sleep/Wake Cycle Might Be Repaired
According to the research, there are several ways to improve sleep to regain a normal 24-hour cycle in a TBI patient. Use of medications to induce nighttime sleep and exposing the TBI patient to light during the day and a dark environment at night might have a restorative function.
Recovery Stages
The stages of recovery progress from the initial phase where the patient may be comatose or in a low state of consciousness to later symptoms of disorientation and confusion marked by inconsistent behavior and seizures. The greatest improvement is seen in the first six months followed by more gradual improvement spanning the next one to two years.
Risk Factors for TBI
The incidence of traumatic brain injury is highest in individuals aged 14 to 24. In addition, males suffer TBI more often than females. The number of deaths attributed to TBI exceed all others in people under 34.
One of the most common reasons for TBI is involvement in an auto accident. The potential for head injury does not always reflect the severity of the crash. On many occasions, even a slight injury to the head such as being struck in the area around the temple can cause TBI.
Financial Loss Due to a Traumatic Brain Injury
Suffering a TBI can mean a long period of medical recuperation during which the individual is unable to work. The financial impact this imparts can spell disaster for a family, particularly if the person was instrumental in providing monetary support. Trying to deal with the emotional upset of seeing a family member experience TBI and handling financial problems at the same time is often harrowing.
Thousand Oaks Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks brain injury lawyer. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of another person, you are entitled to receive financial compensation. As a member of the Brain Injury Association of America, I understand the emotional and psychological trauma that both the injured individual and his or her family experience during this period. Please contact me at (805) 372-0200 for my free and friendly advice. Outside the telephone calling area, reach me toll free at (800) 404-5400.
I’ve practiced for 35 years as an injury lawyer, and my firm and I have helped many Californians, including those in the Thousand Oaks area, receive compensation for their traumatic injury and wrongful death claims.
It is important to read reviews by prior clients and mine are available at Google, Avvo and Yelp. You can look at my website page entitled verdicts and settlements. It contains important information on prior cases resolved by my law firm.
I am a California member of a group of top trial attorneys who belong to the Million Dollar Advocates forum. Its members have secured $1 million or more in case settlements and verdicts for their clients.
Autoaccident.com is a website that I own and founded. It contains comprehensive details about the different types of personal injury.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/woman-girl-bella-read-sleep-2197947/
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