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New Analysis Methods Reveal Brain Scars in Concussion Victims

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The Walter Reed National Medical Military Center (WRNMMC) was dissatisfied with the information CT scans and traditional MRI techniques provided when looking into concussion injuries. By utilizing new technology and methods, they were able to get a clearer picture of brain scans conducted on hundreds of military soldiers. The results are intriguing, if not a little harrowing.

For the longest time, it was unclear how much a mild concussion negatively impacted the brain. Doctors may have seen zero damage through a CT scan and determined that nothing serious or permanent would occur. The reality, as found in the WRNMMC’s research, could be much different. More than half of the participants showed signs of internal brain scarring after suffering only one concussion. The scars may worsen throughout the years, causing additional or intensifying traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms.

Over 300,000 United States service members in the last 15 years have been diagnoses with some form TBI. Are 150,000+ people affected by brain scarring and not even know it? The answer is not defined at this time. In fact, exactly how a scar on the brain’s tissues affects a person is also not entirely known, but it is assumed to affect motor control, memory, attention, and more. Two separate data collections from the same group of participants also showed abnormalities in blood flow and axon white-matter fiber health, however.

(A full report on the study can be read here from MIT Technology Review.)

Support After a Devastating Injury

At Rourke and Blumenthal LLC, our Columbus personal injury attorneys encourage you to always take care of yourself. If you have suffered a concussion or another form of traumatic brain injury, please ensure that you have been properly diagnosed by a medical professional. If your accident can be linked to another’s negligent, such as in a car accident or medical malpractice case, we may be able to pursue fair compensation through litigation. Call 614.321.3212 today to learn more.

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