Types of Brain Injuries

Common Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Common types of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Injuries due to infection: Meningitis, encephalitis, and other viral and bacterial-borne illnesses can create a constellation of problems in the brain ranging from annoying to potentially life-threatening. An untreated brain infection can lead to swelling of membranes, clotting, and death of neural tissue.
• Loss of oxygen to neural tissue: Anoxic or hyperoxic conditions can cause death of brain tissue in relatively short order. Hyperoxia can occur in the wake of respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. It can lead to major memory impairment and cognition problems. People can also suffer from chronic hyperoxia due to exposure to pollution or cigarette smoke.
• Head injuries: Both closed and open-head injuries can result in significant damage and increased risk of infection. Closed injuries (skull intact) often occur in auto accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, and sports injuries. The problems tend to be non-local. Open head injuries, on the other hand, involve the perforation of the skull and can often impact a particular region of the brain far more than surrounding areas. Open head injuries are typically caused by projectile collisions, such as knife wounds or gun shots.
• Injuries due to rapid deceleration: The relatively liquid material of the brain can be slammed back against the skull during rapid deceleration, such as a person might experience in a severe car accident. Another cause of “diffuse axonal shearing” is chronic roller coaster riding. Studies suggest that certain aggressive roller coaster riders can experience mild TBI.

In addition to the discussed types of traumatic brain injuries, individuals can also get TBI from stroke, cancerous growths, and chemical exposure.