Maj Hemstad
Traumatic brain injury can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild TBI is often referred to as mTBI or concussion. When a person experiences a mild TBI, the connections between nerve cells in the brain are disrupted. Brain functions, such as memory, alertness, and awareness of surroundings, can be affected by this disruption.
Lt Col Reynolds
When a mild TBI affects brain centers responsible for maintaining consciousness, it causes a loss of consciousness, sometimes called “blacking out” or being “knocked out.” But a mild TBI may simply cause a dazed or confused feeling without loss of consciousness. It’s important to note that not everyone who sustains a mild TBI experiences a loss of consciousness. In fact, it is more common to experience that dazed or confused sensation than being “knocked out.”
Maj Hemstad
When a mild traumatic brain injury does cause a loss of consciousness, it’s brief, lasting 30 minutes or less. Mild TBI or concussion can also cause post-traumatic amnesia, often referred to as PTA. PTA is characterized by memory loss of the events immediately before or after the injury. This memory loss can last for up to a day. A person with mild TBI might feel confused or have trouble thinking clearly immediately following the head trauma, but this feeling shouldn’t last more than 24 hours.
Lt Col Reynolds
It’s important to remember that in most mild TBI cases, the patient recovers completely. Recovery typically occurs in one to two weeks, although in some cases, it can take several weeks to fully recover. There are a small number of cases where the physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms can last for months or years and cause permanent changes to the patient’s life.
Maj Hemstad
In this section, you can learn more about the most common causes of mild TBI, and explore what are referred to as mechanisms of injury.
Lt Col Reynolds
You can also find information about the symptoms of concussion and how it’s diagnosed. We’ll discuss potential long-term effects, treatment, and follow-up care.