Other Potential Effects

The long-term symptoms of TBI can be divided into several categories, including physical changes, cognitive effects, sensory effects, perceptual effects, social-emotional changes, and others. You’ll find a partial list of these symptoms and possible effects below. Keep in mind that the severity and duration of symptoms and effects will vary greatly from one patient to another, depending on the severity of the TBI.

Physical effects:

• Sleep disorders
• Loss of stamina (easily fatigued)
• Appetite changes
• Difficulty swallowing
• Physical paralysis or spasticity
• Chronic pain
• Loss of control of bowel and bladder functions
• Seizures
• Difficulty regulating body temperature
• Hormonal changes

Cognitive effects:

• Difficulty with attention, focus, or concentration
• Distractibility
• Memory problems
• Slow speed of processing
• Confusion
• Perseveration, which is the abnormal persistent repetition of a word, gesture, or act
• Impulsiveness
• Difficulty with language processing
• Problems with executive functions, which include planning, cognitive flexibility, abstract thinking, rule acquisition (determining right from wrong), initiating appropriate actions, and inhibiting inappropriate actions

Speech and language effects:

• Aphasia (difficulty with talking or expressing ideas, understanding everyday language, and problems with reading and writing). Types of aphasia can include:
  • Receptive aphasia, which involves difficulty understanding the spoken word, or
  • Expressive aphasia, which means the patient knows what they wish to say but is unable to get the words out. In some cases, the patient is able to perceive and comprehend both spoken and written language, but is unable to repeat what they see or hear.
• Slurred speech
• Speaking very fast or very slow
• Problems with reading comprehension

Sensory and perceptual effects:

• Difficulty recognizing and distinguishing between touch and pressure sensations
• Difficulty perceiving temperature
• Difficulty perceiving movement and positions of the arms and legs
• Difficulty with fine discrimination (for example, distinguishing between small everyday objects, like coins)
• Difficulty integrating and understanding information gained through the five senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste)

Effects on vision:

• Partial or total loss of vision
• Diplopia, which is weakness of eye muscles that causes double vision
• Blurred vision
• Problems judging distance
• Involuntary eye movements, called nystagmus
• Photophobia, which is intolerance of light

Effects on hearing:

• Decrease or loss of hearing
• Tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears
• Increased sensitivity or intolerance to sounds

Effects on smell and taste:

• Anosmia, which is loss of or diminished sense of smell
• Loss of or diminished sense of taste
• Bad taste in the mouth

Social-emotional or behavioral effects:

• Dependent behaviors
• Fluctuating emotions
• Lack of motivation
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Depression
• Lack of inhibition
• Denial or lack of awareness