New Study Shows Recovery From Moderate to Severe TBI May Not Resolve in a Poor Outcome
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Brooks Schuelke, Esq.
Schuelke Law PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) August 23, 2021 – Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can range in severity from mild to severe. Often the outcome for someone who has sustained a TBI can be stressful, frustrating and may not be what they have hoped for.
Fortunately, a recent study has shown that people diagnosed with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries can improve over time.
The study involved 484 individuals who sustained moderate to severe TBIs and followed the participants’ conditions over the course of a year. The results indicated that roughly half of the participants with severe TBI and 75 percent of participants with moderate TBI recovered the ability to function at home for at least 8 hours a day.
Of participants in a vegetative state at two weeks into the study, 77 percent regained consciousness, and 25 percent recaptured orientation ability within a year. Despite the initial dismal prognosis, many of the study participants did better than expected.
Other medical researchers who participated in a large observational study of close to 2,000 people dealing with post-injury outcomes of TBI have concluded “A large proportion of the participants with moderate to severe TBI showed major improvement in life functioning, with many regaining independence between two weeks and 12 months after moderate to severe TBI,” said Michael A. McCrea, Ph.D., with the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Department of Neurosurgery.
The Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) study found three patterns on CT exams that correlate to different kinds of brain damage. Additionally, each brain injury event had different outcomes.
According to TRACK-TBIs statistics, the worst outcome after a year for a serious TBI could include intraventricular hemorrhage, contusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage and subdural hematoma.
Epidural hematoma often resulted in an incomplete recovery at two weeks after injury and three months, but there were no adverse long-term effects. This discovery, while affirmative, needs to be regarded with caution that not every case is the same, nor is every outcome.
These studies largely confirm what has previously been known, with a little more positive spin. Many persons suffering from moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries do make improvements. However, even with improvements, many people are left with permanent injuries that prevent them from functioning at 100 percent capacity.
“It does indicate that recovery from serious TBIs may be more positive than first thought – a definite plus for those who have sustained such an injury,” commented Brooks Schuelke, an Austin traumatic brain injury attorney. “This is important information for those who need treatment for moderate to severe TBIs.”