Traumatic Brain Injury and Melatonin
It’s been well documented in medical journals that those who suffer brain injury often complain of sleep disturbances. True, loss of sleep after a traumatic brain injury may be due to the associated pain or anxiety following such incidents. However, medical studies clearly indicate that sleep loss after a traumatic brain injury is often due to the brain’s inability to properly produce melatonin after severe trauma.
In 2010, the American Academy of Neurology published studies researched by Dr. Rajaratnam, a leading physician studying the links between sleep loss and brain injury. He reported that the results from the study “suggest that the brain injury may disrupt the brain structures that regulate sleep, including the production of melatonin.” A lack of melatonin production in the brain results in sleep loss.
A study was performed in an Intensive Care Unit in Athens, Greece, that treated eight patients consecutively admitted to the ICU following a severe head injury. The melatonin levels were charted from the blood tests of these patients. Those patients with the most significant head trauma displayed the highest disrupted patterns of melatonin secretions.
Science indicates that the body’s melatonin protects the brain and can be a valuable aid in recovery. How? Melatonin shields the brain from neurodegeneration and oxidative stress. Additionally, melatonin encourages the surviving neurons in the brain after trauma to promote the regeneration of damaged brain tissue.
Speak with a physician regarding using the use of melatonin. A melatonin supplement may be added to your recovery regimen by your physician.
The Edward A Smith Law Offices is a personal injury firm located in Sacramento, California, specializing in handling severe traumatic brain injury claims. Please contact them for free legal advice at (800) 404-5400. Their website is www.autoaccident.com.