According to the May edition of ScienceDaily, which highlighted the work of group of Heidelberg, Germany scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, a major breakthrough may aid doctors in a more efficient way to locate and diagnoses brain injuries and improve brain injury recovery instances. Working with genetically engineered zebrafish (designed to have transparent heads), these German scientists were able to actually watch the progression of a brain injury through the brain and determine how a brain injury progresses from trauma to injury. Consequently, they were able to make some amazing discoveries concerning how a brain injury’s hazardous cells and materials are located following a traumatic injury to the head which could pave the way for improved brain injury recovery methods.
The study resulted in a discovery of a sort of distress signal present in the brain that sends out its own alert when injured, making way for doctors to make use of this distress signal to locate a brain injury quickly. This discovery could prove to be a breakthrough in the speedy diagnosis of not only traumatic brain injuries caused by head injuries but of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Brain Injury Recovery Varies Depending Upon Severity and Prompt Diagnosis
As it stands now, brain injury recovery times vary based on not only the extent of the brain injury, but the time that elapses before correct treatment is begun. Thus, this German breakthrough is a great boost in brain injury recovery possibilities. Currently, brain injury can take months, and even years after initial injury, with the most devastating potentially fatal brain injuries being easier to diagnose. The indicators physicians use to determine the brain injury recovery times include:
- Coma duration – The less time a patient remains in a coma, the better the odds of a full brain injury recovery
- Duration of post-traumatic amnesia – The shorter the amnesia time, the better the odds of brain injury recovery
- Age of the injured person – Patients over age 60 or under age 2 have the worst chance of brain injury recovery, even when they suffer a mild brain injury.
Contact an Ontario Personal Injury Attorney to Learn About Your Rights If You Have Sustained a Brain Injury
Some 165,000 Canadians die yearly from brain injuries, most caused by accidents. Prompt medical attention is your best bet of full brain injury recovery. And, most accident insurance policies cover the medical expenses of brain injury victims, so don’t delay in seeking prompt medical attention. And, should you suffer a brain injury die to the negligence of another, such as in a car accident that isn’t your fault, you have the legal right to sue the at-fault individual for damages.
In the case of any brain injury caused from an accident, remember that you are entitled to certain rights under Canadian law. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney anytime you are injured in an accident, brain injury ones or not, to learn your rights and obligations should you be the victim of an accident.
