Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is a serious condition that can occur as the result of a personal injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of TBI in Modesto and across the nation. According to the results indicated by trials in a recent TBI study by Theresa Pape, a research scientist and professor at Hines VA Hospital and Northwestern University, respectively, familiar voices to victims of TBI may help them recover faster.
The study found that when people suffering from TBI hear voices that they recognize, test results show that they have a spike in brain activity. In trials, even severely damaged neural networks in the brain of vegetative victims were more responsive to familiar voices during MRI scans than those that were exposed to only non-familiar voices. During the scans, familiar voices sparked brain activity that showed up as bright yellow and red indicators across the brain, whereas there was little of this activity during exposure to non-familiar voices.
Pape submits that repeatedly hearing familiar voices of loved ones, family members and friends can actually help TBI victims' brains repair themselves faster. In TBI cases, thick white fibers called axons are shred after an injury. Pape hopes that the brain activity sparked by familiar voices will help heal that damage to help patients recover faster and with more success. Pape also hopes that the results of her study will help provide solace to family members who talk to their loved ones while they are in comas and wonder if the patients can hear them.
Although promising research is increasing the chance of survival for many victims of TBI, the majority of severe cases are still very damaging to the wellbeing of the victims. 16 to 24 year-old males are most at risk for traumatic brain injury in the U.S. In addition to motor vehicle accident victims, soldiers and athletes are most likely to suffer TBI. According to Pape, TBI occurs every 21 seconds in the United States, and one-third of those injuries is considered severe.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a motor vehicle accident or other accident that has caused a traumatic brain injury, contact a Modesto personal injury attorney right away. You may be able to receive compensation for your injuries, medical expenses and pain and suffering.
