Phineas Gage, a 25 year old construction worker is known as one of the most famous patients that suffered from a traumatic brain injury. While working at a railroad site, an iron tamping rod (43 inches long, 1.25 diameter) went through his left cheek, through his brain, and out the skull. He surprisingly ended up surviving this traumatic injury. After a month in the hospital, he was back out on the street. Once a nice, caring person, Phineas turned into an aggressive man who could not even keep a job. Just like Phineas Gage, a TBI can potentially change everything. Brain studies on traumatic brain injuries are increasing every year. Even though the brain is very functional, brain injuries can have many physical, emotional, social, and economical effects.
Although the brain only weighs about three pounds, it is a very powerful and essential organ in the body (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem are the three main parts of the brain. The cerebrum fills up most of the skull, its main functions are for remembering, problem solving, thinking, and feeling (Bellamy 23). It also controls movement throughout the body. The cerebellum is located towards the back of the head. It controls mostly just coordination and balance (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The brain stem is underneath the cerebrum and in front of your cerebellum. It attaches the brain to the spinal cord and controls functions like breathing, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure (Carter 12). The brain is also divided into halves. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, while the right side of the brain, controls the left side of the body (Bellamy 17).
Traumatic brain injury, also known as intr...
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...Trauma Foundation, medical care is improving (Ross 27). Constant learning about the brain is fundamental to discover better medications for those affected after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. Scientists are always finding stronger treatments for patients that have had a TBI. In a couple years, doctors see patients with severe cases being able to live a normal life (28). With improving technology, the medical field will always continue to grow.
A traumatic brain injury is an extremely common injury. It is important to know ways to prevent a TBI from happening and what to do if it does happen. Phineas Gage was one of the most well known TBI patients and he was the first to live from an extreme brain injury. All and all, brain injuries have the potential to be extremely life-altering, however with the proper prevention and rehabilitation they can be eliminated.
In recent years, there has been an increase in research investigating the long-term effects of repeated head trauma on the brain, especially in athletes. Following his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Dr. Bennet Omalu inspired a movement of research aimed at establishing better safety standards and protocols in football. It was not until 2002 that the initial connection between repetitive head trauma, such as concussions, and brain injury was suspected (Ott, 2015).
Did you know, that someone suffers from a brain injury every 21 seconds (Haas)? Children get concussions all the time, and most of the time they go unnoticed. The majority of concussions happen when one is playing a sport such as football, hockey, or lacrosse. Many famous athletes have had their careers, even their lives cut short due to concussions. Brain damage and death can result from serial concussions (Schafer). When one suffers from a concussion, one’s brain needs time to recover physically and mentally. Between 2002 and 2006, statistics showed that 52,000 people died from concussions and about 275,000 were hospitalized (Fundukian). Everyone’s recovery process is different (“Injury and Pain Care”). Although concussions seem minor, they are very serious brain injuries that may result in severe damage to one’s brain.
An unnoticed fatal injury that countless athletes have experienced is a concussion. Many people have heard about concussions, but not about the underlying damage they cause the brain. A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury that may occur when the head hits an object, or a moving object strikes the head. It can affect how the brain works for a whi...
In my opinion, some of these athletes like UFC fighters and football players’ are at a higher risk of their Orbitofrontal Cortex being damaged. What happened to Phineas Gage was a tragedy that could also happen to anyone. At least today, someone would have better chance of surviving or surviving without any permanent damage vs. the something like this happening in the 20th century. After researching more about this part of the brain, I also think about some of these young athletes that get concussions before their Orbitofrontal Cortex has matured. “Based on current neuroscience data, the assumption is that the brain does not fully mature until at least the mid-20s, so if a concussion occurs in a still-developing brain, the trajectory of that
Traumatic brain injury or TBI occurs when a child has a head injury that causes damage to the brain. These injuries can be caused from being hit in the head or violently shaken. The results of TBI can change how a person’s brain develops, how they act, move, and think. It can also affect how they learn in school (NICHCY, 2012). TBI can affect the way a child thinks, retains information, attention span, behavior, speech, physical activities (which includes walking), and the way a child learns.
Phineas Gage was a foreman for a railroad crew in the 1800’s. At the age of 25 Phineas’s life was dramatically changed forever. While working at the railroads on September 13, 1848, he was packing explosive powder into a hole when thee powder suddenly detonated. The rod he was using was then blown upward sending the rod threw one of his cheeks all the way up through the brain and out the skull. This rod took out most of his frontal lobe, but surprisingly enough, he survived and was able to speak and talk. For this reason he is one of the most
If I could have everyone's attention. Good-morning ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who don't know me my name is Jasmine Davenport. Today I’d like to discuss traumatic brain injury also referred to as TBI. I chose this topic because traumatic brain injury is a serious and complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. Traumatic brain injury effects people of all ages and is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. A traumatic brain injury can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts normal functions of the brain Also, traumatic brain injury can cause physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral affects.
Despite having suffered severe brain damage, Gage was able to relearn several functions that he performed prior to his accident. Through rehabilitation and repetition Gage was able to regain mental and
The brain has many different parts to it which help one function through daily life; parts such as the cerebrum which controls voluntary movement and regulates functions such as thinking, speaking and the ability to recall information. The cerebellum controls the balance and coordination and finally the brain stem, which consists of the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord which controls all involuntary functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. The brain stem is also able to carry out these actions even when someone is asleep. To fully understand how crucial the brain is to survival one must understand the functions of the brain stem.
The left and right hemispheres of the brain are each divided into sections. Within each sections are lobes, controlling such processes as our visualization, our movement, and our personalities. For instance, the occipital lobe in the back of our brain is responsible for processing vision, and the frontal lobe behind our forehead controls cognition and personality. The lobes of the brain are split between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This well-designed arrangement is for the lobes to function correctly, so the two hemispheres of the brain can communicate with one
One of the earliest players to bring awareness to brain traumas was Mike Webster, a former Pittsburgh Steeler. In April of 1999, he claimed to be disabled with the NFL Retirement Board. He also had dementia which was a result of the brutal hits he endured during his football career. Webster ran into many problems at the e...
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke the etiology of mild traumatic brain injury are as follows; a. Falls. When individuals fall from the bed, staircase, and ladder or in the bathroom it may cause mild brain injury, especially in adults and young children. b Violence such as gunshot wounds, domestic violence, and other assault can cause mild traumatic brain injury. In addition, shaken baby syndrome is a traumatic brain injury in babies caused by violent shaking.
My objective in the long term is to provide therapeutic and counseling services that assist persons suffering with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI) in coping and recovering from the mental illnesses that often accompany such tragedies. TBI/ABI has shown a proven link with “anxiety, depression, personality changes, aggression (National Alliance on Mental Illness Veterans Resource Center May 8, 2009 Traumatic Brain Injury)”, as well as many other issues. As the caregiver for a survivor of a rare and deadly strain of encephalitis, I have a personal perspective that I feel brings much to the discussion. I see the information I am currently gathering at Empire State College as the building blocks that pave the way to a thrilling career in a growing segment of the mental health industry. The CDC claims that approximately 1.4 million Americans suffer TBIs annually (Centers for Disease Control Injury Center May 30, 2007 Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths) and it has been called the “signature injury” of the current wars in Iraq & Afghanistan by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. As such, it is my belief that we need to focus time and energy on developing new programs to help these patients to cope with the new limitations and encourage rehabilitation and restoration.
The human body is divided into many different parts called organs. All of the parts are controlled by an organ called the brain, which is located in the head. The brain weighs about 2. 75 pounds, and has a whitish-pink appearance. The brain is made up of many cells, and is the control centre of the body. The brain flashes messages out to all the other parts of the body.
The nervous system’s main function is to coordinate all of the activities in the body. The main organs are the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement. The cerebrum, is the center for conscious thought, learning, and memory. The last main organ is the brain stem. The brain stem keeps the automatic systems in your body working. Problems of the nervous system include, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. You can care for your nervous system by wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, and by not using drugs or alcohol. Something very confusing about the nervous system is that the left side of human brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body!