Traumatic Brain Injuries - TBI
Long-Term Problems
Associated With TBI
Other
long-term problems that can develop after a
TBI include Parkinson's disease and other
motor problems, Alzheimer's disease,
dementia pugilistica, and post-traumatic
dementia.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) - AD is a
progressive, neurodegenerative disease
characterized by dementia, memory loss, and
deteriorating cognitive abilities. Recent
research suggests an association between
head injury in early adulthood and the
development of AD later in life; the more
severe the head injury, the greater the risk
of developing AD. Some evidence indicates
that a head injury may interact with other
factors to trigger the disease and may
hasten the onset of the disease in
individuals already at risk. For example,
people who have a particular form of the
protein apolipoprotein E (apoE4) and suffer
a head injury fall into this increased risk
category. (ApoE4 is a naturally occurring
protein that helps transport cholesterol
through the bloodstream.)
Parkinson's disease and other motor
problems - Movement disorders as a result of
TBI are rare but can occur. Parkinson's
disease may develop years after TBI as a
result of damage to the basal ganglia.
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include
tremor or trembling, rigidity or stiffness,
slow movement (bradykinesia), inability to
move (akinesia), shuffling walk, and stooped
posture. Despite many scientific advances in
recent years, Parkinson's disease remains a
chronic and progressive disorder, meaning
that it is incurable and will progress in
severity until the end of life. Other
movement disorders that may develop after
TBI include tremor, ataxia (uncoordinated
muscle movements), and myoclonus (shock-like
contractions of muscles).
Dementia pugilistica - Also called
chronic traumatic encephalopathy, dementia
pugilistica primarily affects career boxers.
The most common symptoms of the condition
are dementia and parkinsonism caused by
repetitive blows to the head over a long
period of time. Symptoms begin anywhere
between 6 and 40 years after the start of a
boxing career, with an average onset of
about 16 years.
Post-traumatic dementia - The
symptoms of post-traumatic dementia are very
similar to those of dementia pugilistica,
except that post-traumatic dementia is also
characterized by long-term memory problems
and is caused by a single, severe TBI that
results in a coma.
|
