Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) as a head injury that disrupts normal brain function. It can be caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury. The most common causes of TBI are from falls and auto accidents. Severe brain injuries can also be caused from medical conditions such as seizure or stroke. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, brain damage can occur along with loss of function, like inability to communicate or sometimes even inability to move.

Rehabilitation for severe brain damage can be long, and quite often not very successful. With some new technology currently used in computer games, this may be changing. The NeuroSky company produces sensors that detect brainwave activity by measuring electroencephalography, more commonly known as EEG. These sensors can show whether a person is alert, concentrating, meditating, anxious, or sleepy, and sends this information to a computer.

The information sent to the computer is used differently depending on the program. For example, the game MindFlex by Mattel uses the sensor to read brainwaves, allowing you do things like control a ball through an obstacle course — using only your mind!

Another existing use for this technology is in education, helping teachers and tutors to monitor a child’s attention level or nervousness. The applications are also available to assist with math, history, pattern recognition, memory and entertainment.

Future uses may have the potential to help people with a variety of medical conditions. In an recent interview, Stanley Yang, CEO of NeuroSky, said that: “[A] mother emailed the company a year ago about her 21-year-old son with cerebral palsy. She bought him a NeuroSky headset and was able to play games that helped him control his attention level. He could then answer yes or no to his mother’s questions by controlling his brainwaves — for the first time. Asked if he loved his mother, the son said yes, using NeuroSky. That’s a pretty compelling platform, and Yang says the company and its many partners are just getting started with applications for it.”

This technology looks promising for people with severe brain damage, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.  Using a game that is currently available, Star Wars Force Trainer, Michael Tripoli is an amazing example of the rehabilitation possibilities. When Michael was sixteen, he had a massive heart attack while playing football. His brain was deprived of oxygen and severely damaged. As a result, he has difficulty moving and communicating. Michael has a team dedicated to his rehabilitation who are using the game to engage his brain, and improve his mental abilities and communications skills. The game uses a brainwave-reading headset to let players levitate a ball by concentrating. To see Michael demonstrate how this can work for rehabilitation purposes, watch the video of him:http://vimeo.com/user7432364/michael

“On a weekly basis I speak to family members seeking solutions, who have loved ones with these conditions. While a long way from a total solution, we know there is potential for our technology to be used as a very basic communication device,” says NeuroSky’s Head of Communication Tansy Brook.

Resources:

http://venturebeat.com/2011/02/28/demo-neurosky-mind-games/

http://www.techlicious.com/blog/toy-could-help-brain-injured-people-communicate/

Traumatic injury to the head can damage the delicate tissues of the brain. Even if the full damage is not visible, brain injuries are often serious and life altering. The symptoms of brain damage vary widely, depending upon the type and extent of the injury. The most common causes of traumatic head injuries are motor vehicle accidents, falls, and firearms.

Two Categories of Brain Injury
Often, traumatic brain injuries are classified into two categories: penetrating head injury and closed head injury.

1. A penetrating head injury, or open wound, is visible and involves an actual penetration of the skull and brain tissue.

2. A closed head injury is the more common type of traumatic brain injury. These vary widely in severity. For example, a minor concussion is a form of closed head injury. On the other end of the spectrum, a closed head injury can result in complete disability, loss of physical function and cognitive ability, or even death.

Symptoms of Brain Injury
Sometimes the symptoms of a profound head injury are not immediately apparent. However, there are recognized symptoms of brain damage. Signs of closed head injury include unconsciousness at the accident site, a coma, or seizure(s). If an individual sustains any injury to the head, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.

When a person’s head is struck or jarred in an accident, be on the lookout for headaches, nausea, confusion, or other problems with concentration or memory. Personality changes also may signal a traumatic brain injury. The injured person might become unusually irritable, angry, or depressed. Family, friends, and co-workers may notice these changes, while the injured person does not. Once again, prompt medical attention is very important for a suspected injury.

The Glasgow Coma Scale
The outcome of a traumatic brain injury varies greatly, depending on its severity. A treating physician often uses the Glasgow Coma Scale to assess the extent of the damage.

The Glasgow Coma Scale measures a closed head injury victim’s ability to open his or her eyes, provide verbal responses, and provide motor responses. The scale ranges between a score of three to fifteen. The higher the score, the better the overall prognosis.

Brain Injury Statistics
Traumatic head injuries are all too common. According to the Brain Injury Association, over 1.9 million Americans suffer a brain injury each year, and approximately 80,000 of those injuries result in long-term disability. The estimated cost of caring for traumatic brain injury victims is enormous — over $48 billion dollars per year.

Head or Brain Injury & Michigan Auto Law
Michigan auto no-fault law requires auto accident victims in Michigan to prove that their injury represents a “serious impairment of a body function.” The Michigan auto no-fault law defines a “serious impairment of a body function” as an objectively manifested impairment of an important body function that affects a persons general ability to live his or her normal life.

Michigan courts have interpreted the Michigan auto no-fault threshold to restrict access to the courts for many seriously injured auto accident victims. However, Michigan auto no-fault law provides for an exception to this threshold if the auto accident victim is able to claim a closed head injury.

Michgan law, MCL 500.3135(2)(a)(ii), states:

For a closed head injury, a question of fact for the jury is created if a licensed allopathic or osteopathic physician who regularly diagnosis or treats close-head injuries testifies under oath that there may be a serious neurological injury.

If you or a loved one suffered a serious accident involving a closed head injury, brain injury or head injury, talk with an experienced Michigan personal injury lawyer.