Consequences
Brain Injury can cause many kinds of physical, cognitive, and behavioural/emotional impairments as shown below. They may be either temporary or permanent. Impairments may range from subtle to severe. Brain injury may result in seizure disorders.
|
Physical |
Communicative |
Cognitive |
Behavioural / Emotional |
|
Motor deficits: - paralysis - abnormal muscle tone - ataxia/ coordination Sensory deficits; visual/hearing loss Physical symptoms, eg headache, fatigue, pain, etc Dizziness & balance problems Dysphagia Seizures |
Language deficits: - expression - comprehension Dysarthria Dyslexia Dysgraphia |
Impairment of: - Memory - Attention - Perception - Planning / organisation - Problem-solving - Insight - Safety awareness - Self-monitoring - Social judgement |
Emotional lability Poor initiation Poor motivation Mood change Depression Anxiety Aggressive outbursts Disinhibition Inappropriate sexual behaviour
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While some people may be physically disabled, the large majority have only ‘hidden’ disabilities, which are less easy to observe and, as a result, lead to misunderstanding.
A person with a brain injury may find it very difficult to relate to people, to carry out tasks which make him or her employable, and to remember life before their accident, and may well seem a different person to those around him or her. He/she may also lack the insight to understand the seriousness of what has happened to him or her.
