Changes That May Result From A Brain Injury
Brain Injury results in a wide range of changes to a person’s behavior, their sensitivity to surroundings and their thinking capabilities.
- Some changes are permanent.
- Some changes are only temporary.
Which Changes Are Permanent?
Sometimes, a person who has had a brain injury can appear to overcome all of the effects of their injury.
For example, a person had over 40% of their brain removed after a serious accident. After intensive rehabilitation, it was hard to tell if they had an injury at all. Another person had a relatively mild brain injury and now has to live with chronic pain, a short attention span and many other difficulties.
When a person sustains a brain injury its impossible to predict how much they will recover and how long it will take. There is no formula to tell you which results are permanent and which are temporary. The incredible ability of the human brain to compensate for a loss of some functions continues to amaze medical professionals.
Neuropsychologists and neurologists test the functions of a person’s brain after a person sustains a brain injury. This allows the medical team to establish a rehabilitation program aimed at helping the person overcome their specific difficulties.
What Are The Changes?
There are too many possible changes to list them all here. Changes may (but not always) involve the person’s personality, thinking and learning and physical abilities.
Personality Changes
- The person may be quick to anger – a loud noise, or someone disagreeing with them may trigger an outburst of aggression. This is particularly common when the person is still in Post Traumatic Amnesia (PTA).
- Many people who have had a brain injury also become more aggressive as the years pass by. This may be due to a range of factors such as frustration at living with the effects of their injury receiving inappropriate care, and boredom due to limited opportunities for recreation and personal development.
- The person won’t always think of others – for example, the person may become annoyed they can’t watch their favorite television program, even if someone else was watching their favorite program first. Or, the person may become agitated if they aren’t served immediately they walk into a shop or bank.
- The person is very talkative – they may also jump from one topic to another during a short conversation, or, find it very hard to stay focused on the point they were trying to make.
- The person may rush into things – they may rush into a job, make lots of errors and then rush onto another job without checking the first one.
- The person doesn’t believe they have changed – they may remember a lot about what they used to be able to do and think they can still do it. Even when tests confirm the person has lost the skills they might not believe its true.
- The person has less control over emotions – the person may laugh or cry at the slightest suggestion of joy or sadness.
- The person may make inappropriate sexual advances – They may be unable to control their sexual urges as a direct result of their injury. This may result in varying degrees of harassment or others or increased levels of sexual activity.
Physical Changes
- Loss of sight or hearing – the person may have complete or partial loss of their sight or hearing. This loss may be temporary or permanent.
- Reduced control over movements – the person may have slow movements or total loss of control of some muscles.
- Slow or slurred speech – the person may speak slower or be difficult to understand.
- Fatigue – the person may need to have a rest several times during the day as they get very tired very quickly.
- Paralysis – the person may have permanent paralysis in some parts of their body.
Thinking-Learning Changes
- Memory – loss of short-term memory may result in “forgetting”. For example the person may forget to attend meetings, forget why they went to the shop or forget what they have just been taught. Sometimes the person’s long term memory may be affected as well, so that they don’t remember past events.
- Problem solving and decision making – The person may have difficulty seeing how an action caused an effect. This may mean that the same mistakes are made over and over again, as the person can’t understand what is causing the problem.
- Concentration – the person may switch from one task to another, or may have difficulty staying focused on the one thing. They may also be easily distracted by sights, sounds, feelings or temperature.
- Getting started – the person may have difficulty starting something, or they may not feel like doing anything.
- Inflexible or sticky thinking – the person may need to stick to a rigid routine, or they may get stuck on one idea.
- Understanding things – the person may have trouble taking phone messages, understanding a good joke, following meetings, or reading.
- Saying what they mean – the person may have trouble finding the right words, using the right body language or getting to the point.
- Sequencing – the person may have trouble getting things in the right order. For example, remembering to wash the dishes before you dry them.
- Slow to respond – it may take the person longer to understand and respond to what is going on.
- Perception – the person may confuse similar sounding words and numbers, and have trouble finding new places.
* Source : Brain Injury Association of NSW
Hi
June 15th, 2008 at 1:15 amim after some advice for my ex partner who at the moment is in hospital with pta and the hospital is wanting him to go onto rehab hospital and he dosnt want to go, what are his rights if we wanted to take him home and get him in a out patients rehab and some one was to be with him to keep a eye on him. He has short term memory loss .
thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa
June 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pmYou need to think about the kind of rehab that will be available as an inpatient – sometimes physio and other therapy is scheduled more than once a day which may be more effective than outpatient rehab. Also how often you would need to go to outpatient rehab – if transport is an issue. If there are any complex medical issues – it would be better to go for inpatient rehab. Of course he does have the right to refuse treatment – bu t I imagine the hospital wouldn’t recommend inpatient rehab if they didn’t think it was necessary. You could also contact the Brain Injury Network of SA tel. (08) 8217 7600.
my brother got hit my a car oct 2000. as a result he had a very bad head injury. 8 years later my family and i are living a very hard life as he has very bad mood swings etc…. will this get many better after nthis many years….
August 28th, 2008 at 8:33 amMairead, It is very difficult to make any comment on your brother’s situation without more information – is he getting on-going medical or therapeutic treatment or accessing any specialised services or programs?. We can make referrals to organisations in South Australia – or suggest points of contact if you are elsewhere. If you would like more information email us at dirc@dircsa.org.au
August 28th, 2008 at 11:31 amOur dad had an accident in Jan 2008 ,he fell head first into concrete six metres. He suffered brusing,and small bleeding on the brain and a quite large cut and three small fractures to his neck. He was sent home afte rtwo weeks and told he would be fine. He is in lots of pain to his head and neck and over the last two weeks has become agressive and was violent to our mohter . all the doctors just keep saying he is fine and time will heal?? But he is getting worse and so I am asking if any one can help or offer advise thanks
September 18th, 2008 at 10:28 pmRose,
September 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pmWe are in SA so I will give you the web link to the Brain Injury Network of SA – http://www.binsa.org/ – and to the national body in case you are elsewhere – Brain Injury Australia – http://www.bia.net.au/ I hope these contacts will be able to assist in getting some information and/or advice.
I was injured in 2005. I am doing so’well ” that I no onger have a case worker. I want to be role model mum to daughter but need ongoing help but where/how do I find that. Want help to get life in orderorganise finances, clear house of clutter ; make schedules routines that I can maintain once life is in order. I would hope tha I could do it on own one life is in order but need much help to gett there. Asked disability SA they gave me 5hrs but will take longer. If I get help tha I think I need I wonder if my needs for psych meidcal anddrugs may leson so ther willb e payoff to system. meet me for short while all seems manaeable but spend a little time with me an it will fall down around you too
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 amdear rroo,
November 26th, 2008 at 2:50 pmplease ring 8236 0555, come in to visit us or send an email directly to dirc@dircsa.org.au and a member of staff will reply directly to you.
reading your comment it seems that your injury has had a psychological as well as physical impact (which is not surprising if a sudden and dramatic event forces change that would not be of your choice). We can give you some contacts about counselling etc.
What sort of support were Disability SA offering? Did they give you 5 hours in total or 5 hours per week? Were you connected / are you connected with any brain injury support group or service?
General financial counselling is available at a number of different locations from:
UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide
Phone: 08 8202 5180
Dear rroo, My name is Jane Hyde and I posted a reply to your email last week. I work here at DIRC. I sent a copy of your comments to Kathleen Robinson of the UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide Carer’s Mediation and Counselling Service. Her phone number is 8150 7213 Mob: 0400 011 981. She can offer some assistance and also reccomends another service. This is her reply to me.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:35 amDear Jane,
I can offer this client on going and free counselling to talk things over and enable the client to tap into her own resilience, However I cannot offer practical day to day support. Take 5 could offer her support to develop and maintain social networks within the community and gain community living skills. There are fees involved and she would need to tailor her service to her needs and budget although Disability SA can broker this service if she qualifies. It would be better to talk direct to the Take 5 Manager for further information. She can explain the scheduling and assistance available. Her name is Kerrie Kromer 8150 7200. Regards Kathleen Robinson