Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury has been in the news a lot; especially since the inception of the war in Iraq.

But what exactly is Traumatic Brain Injury? Is it permanent? Is there death associated with it?

Below are some common facts that will help us to digest the news, whether in sports, war, or personal, a little more effectively.

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts brain function. Not all blows result in TBI. The injury may range from milk, which causes a brief change in consciousness or orientation; to severe, or resulting in an extended period of amnesia or unconsciousness. A TBI can result in short or long term problems with independent function.

Low-level exposure to sarin gas during the Persian Gulf war in 1991 may have caused lasting brain problems in the more than 100,000 American troops exposed to the gas, says a study by scientists working with the U.S. Defense Department.

The preliminary findings, to be published in the June issue of the journal NeuroToxicology, found that troops exposed to the sarin gas showed changes in the brain's connective tissue, or white matter, The New York Times reported.

Have you been told that you are just like your mother? There are some surprising ties that bind us to our mothers that we have been unaware of, and they have nothing to do with looks or personality. Curious?