| Sufferers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have | | | | before the TBI. |
| many symptoms after a tragic accident. One of the | | | | Brain Damage and Anteretrograde Amnesia |
| most common symptoms is memory loss, also | | | | A patient with TBI may also develop anteretrograde |
| known as amnesia. Memory loss and amnesia can | | | | amnesia -- an inability to form memories of events |
| occur in individuals with the mildest of head injuries as | | | | that happened after the injury. The reason for this is |
| well as those with extremely severe brain injuries. | | | | not well understood, but an October 2006 study by |
| Temporary Memory Loss and TBI | | | | researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia |
| Some traumatic brain injury-related amnesia is | | | | found that TBIs reduce the levels of a protein in the |
| temporary; such patients are usually unable to recall | | | | brain that helps it balance its activity. Without enough |
| what happened directly before, during and after their | | | | of that protein, the brain can "overload," the |
| accidents. This is often caused by edema, or a | | | | researchers said, interfering with memory formation, |
| swelling of the brain in response to the damage it | | | | particularly the ability to learn new things. |
| sustained. Parts of the brain that were uninjured in a | | | | Treatment Options for Traumatic Brain Injury |
| traumatic brain injury incident may not work because | | | | Patients with Amnesia |
| the brain is pressed against the skull. As the swelling | | | | There is no treatment for memory loss caused by a |
| goes down, the patient's memory returns, often | | | | traumatic brain injury; if the memory does not come |
| slowly over a period of weeks, months or even | | | | back on its own, it is gone forever. However, a |
| years. Memory loss, specifically temporary memory | | | | September 2006 study published in Neurology, the |
| loss, can be just an emotional side affect of the TBI, | | | | scientific journal of the American Academy of |
| which is usually stress related caused by the trauma | | | | Neurology, showed promising results in TBI patients |
| of the injury. | | | | with anteretrograde memory loss who took the drug |
| Other, less common, types of memory loss | | | | rivastigmine. The drug, which is sold to Alzheimer's |
| stemming from traumatic brain injury are fixed. These | | | | disease patients under the brand name Exelon, helped |
| result from damage to the nerves and axons | | | | patients with moderate to severe memory loss score |
| (connections between nerves) of the brain itself. | | | | better on memory tests than another group of |
| Brain injuries are often more traumatic than a regular | | | | patients that took placebos. The results were not as |
| injury as a brain cannot heal itself as other body | | | | good for patients who had only mild memory loss. If |
| parts, therefore, traumatic brain injuries can cause | | | | you suffer from traumatic brain injury-related |
| permanent damage. Fixed amnesia may include | | | | memory problems, you may wish to contact an |
| inability to remember events before the injury, or | | | | experienced TBI attorney to discuss your options, |
| loss of memory of the meanings of certain things, | | | | which may include filing a brain injury lawsuit in order |
| such as words or smells or objects. Less commonly, | | | | to gain compensation for your medical costs. |
| a person may not remember skills he or she had | | | | |