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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffComplications of traumatic brain injuries can be mild or severe. Some complications respond well to treatment or even resolve on their own, while others may never improve.
Seizures
Some people who have had a traumatic brain injury will experience at least one seizure during the first week after the injury. This doesn't appear to increase their chances of developing epilepsy. However, the chance of epilepsy does increase if there are major structural injuries to the brain.
Infections
Skull fractures or penetrating wounds can tear the membranes (meninges) that surround the brain, letting in bacteria. Infection of these membranes (meningitis) can be especially dangerous because of its potential to spread to the rest of the nervous system.
Nerve damage
Injuries to the base of the skull can damage facial nerves, which may result in:
- Paralysis of facial muscles
- Damage to the nerves responsible for eye movements, which can cause double vision
- Damage to the nerves that provide sense of smell
Cognitive disabilities
Most people who have had a significant brain injury will experience some problems in their cognitive skills, which may include:
- Thinking
- Reasoning
- Problem solving
- Information processing
- Memory
- Speed of mental processing
- Judgment
- Attention
- Multitasking
The most common of these impairments is short-term memory loss. That means the injured person recalls information from before the head trauma, but has to struggle to learn new information after the head trauma.
Language difficulties
Communication problems are common. Some people who have had brain injuries have trouble with spoken and written language, while others have problems deciphering nonverbal signals. In some cases, poor cognitive skills may disrupt your ability to succinctly organize thoughts and ideas.
Personality changes
Brain injuries typically interfere with impulse control, so inappropriate behavior is often present during recovery and rehabilitation. You may also be more irritable, anxious or depressed. These unstable emotions and impaired social skills may pose the greatest coping challenge for many families.
Sensory problems
Problems involving your senses may include:
- A persistent ringing in the ears
- Difficulty recognizing objects
- Impaired hand-eye coordination, which can make you appear clumsy
- Blind spots or double vision
- A bitter taste or a bad smell
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome is a complex disorder in which concussion symptoms — such as headaches and dizziness — last for weeks and sometimes months after the impact that caused the concussion.
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease
A traumatic brain injury appears to increase the risk of eventually developing Alzheimer's disease and, to a lesser degree, Parkinson's disease. The higher the frequency and severity of the injuries, the greater the risk.
Coma
A person who is unconscious and unresponsive is in a coma. A gradual awakening may begin after a coma has lasted a few days or weeks, although a coma may also lead to a vegetative state or death.
People in a vegetative state often open their eyes and may move, groan or show reflex responses. Despite this, they're still unconscious and unaware of their surroundings. Anyone in a vegetative state for more than a year rarely recovers.
