Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery
Each year 1.5 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries. Most of these incidents are simple concussions, relatively minor injuries characterized by a brief period of amnesia with or without loss of consciousness. But brain injury experts think that this figure is far too low. "The majority of people with minor brain injuries never seek medical care," says Dr. Rick Adams, medical director of the neuro-rehabilitation program at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. "The real number is probably closer to 2.5 to 3 million." After a minor brain injury, people often complain of difficulty concentrating or focusing; they report that they feel slowed down or mentally "foggy" and have trouble remembering things. Some people become depressed; others describe feeling nervous or irritable. Until recently, post-concussive syndrome was viewed with skepticism by the medical community. The precise cause of these symptoms couldn't be pinpointed, and the truth of these complaints was often questioned. In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated information to help physicians improve the diagnosis and treatment of minor traumatic brain injuries. The CDC materials emphasize the fact that complete recovery from even a relatively minor brain injury frequently takes several months; they also stress the importance of recognizing and managing post-concussive complaints.
