News

Traumatic brain injury raises dementia risks

Gary Joseph LeBlanc
Published: December 27, 2012

Recently I was the victim of a robbery attempt at my bookstore. I was left with a severe head injury after being clobbered on the noggin with a steel pipe. I'm glad to report that I threw the felonious punk out the front doors during the confrontation and he was left penniless.

This incident, however, has left me thinking a lot about all the victims who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries and have automatically, or later, developed some form of dementia.

According to the University of California-San Francisco, researchers have found through an in-depth study of elderly war veterans who endured TBIs that these old soldiers have more than double the risk of developing dementia.

Unfortunately, TBIs are now labeled a signature wound of our veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The wounds account for 22 percent of casualties and 59 percent of blast-related injuries.

When an outside force hits a human's head hard enough, this will cause a movement of the brain, possibly slamming it against the skull — thus creating a concussion and contusion, a bruise.

Even a slight head injury can cause prolonged or permanent decline of cognition.

After any type of head injury, one should be carefully monitored and screened for signs of dementia. Watch closely for symptoms such as changes in personality, emotional behavior, poor decision making, lack of concentration, mood swings and restlessness. Depending on what part of the brain is damaged, the effects may vary.

We must also remain concerned about what we cannot see. Fluid collecting in the area that was affected is a very serious situation. This is known as "hydrocephalus." Infection can also set in and cause brain damage.

The bottom line here is this — do not take a blow to the head lightly. What appears to be something minor may turn into something devastating later in life.

Gary Joseph LeBlanc was the primary caregiver of his father for a decade after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He can be reached at us41books@bell south.net. His book, "While I Still Can" and the expanded edition of "Staying Afloat in a Sea of Forgetfulness," can be found at www.commonsensecaregiving .com.