TBI I TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY I PERSONAL INJURY – Neurological Testing following a Traumatic Brain Injury

TBI I TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY I PERSONAL INJURY – Neurological Testing following a Traumatic Brain Injury

September 03, 2021

Neurological testing is part of the TBI clinical diagnosis when evaluating a patient following a traumatic brain injury.

What is a TBI? What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

TBI or traumatic brain injury is a resulting injury to the brain caused by a sudden jolt, blow or impact to the head. Of the TBIs the vast majority are Mild TBIs equating for roughly 75 – 80% of cases, the remaining 15 – 20% are attributed to Moderate to Severe TBI cases. According to US statistics: falls, motor vehicle accidents and sustaining a direct blow to the head are the leading causes of traumatic brain injury.

How is a Mild TBI Diagnosed?

TBIs are clinically diagnosed, meaning no single test has the ability to confirm a TBI diagnosis. A TBI clinical diagnosis is a process by which a traumatic brain injury is identified based on signs and symptoms in the patient’s health history, current health status and physical exam. Most often following a traumatic brain injury either a CT (Computed Tomograph) scan or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is completed to rule out any structural damage, fractures or bleeding in the head. Aside from fractures and internal bleeding, brain images cannot show a concussion or other head injuries. The vast majority of TBI cases have a negative CT or MRI finding because the majority of traumatic brain injury cases do not involve structural damage or bleeding.

Neurological Testing and Protocol that goes into a TBI clinical diagnosis includes:

Traumatic brain injury is clinically diagnosed using various testing and protocol including neurological testing.

  • A physical exam to check for bumps and/or lacerations on the head, face or chin;
  • Brain and head imaging to address fractures, structural damage and/or bleeding;
  • A physical exam to check for orbital hematoma or periorbital ecchymosis (panda or raccoon eyes) which is produced by blood tracking into periorbital causing blue or purple discoloration to the eyelids;
  • Interview of the patient to confirm or deny loss of consciousness or concussion following the incident.
  • A history intake with the patient, family and friends to check for ongoing and residual symptoms indicative of a moderate to severe TBI including:
    • Persistent headache
    • Dizziness, repeated vomiting or nausea
    • Convulsions or seizures
    • Sleep disorders, such as an inability to awaken from sleep, insomnia
    • Visual changes including dilation of one or two pupils of the eyes
    • Speech disorder and language impairments such as slurred speech, problems with vocabulary, spelling or comprehension
    • Weakness or numbness in the extremities
    • Loss of coordination
    • Cognitive changes such as profound confusion
    • Mood changes including anger, irritability, agitation and combativeness
    • Cognitive deficiencies including memory impairment, poor attention, limited concentration, and delayed information processing
    • Sensory impairment (blurred vision, sensitivity to sound etc…) Language impairment
    • Behavioral and personality changes
  • Neurological Testing. A TBI patient may also be subject to neurological testing. When completing neurological testing a neuropsychologist will complete a clinical interview then subject the patient to a battery of tests in an office setting to assess function in various emotional and cognitive domains.

Traumatic Brain Injury – for more articles discussing TBI and Head Trauma Symptoms following a personal injuryincident see below:

Car Accident Articles:

Premises Liability Case Results, please see links below:

Slip and Fall or Premises Liability Articles

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