About Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, or concussions, occur when a blow to the head or body causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull (the bones around the brain). The impact and movement can injure brain cells, nerves and blood vessels. People who experience such injuries can have short- and long-term problems with physical, mental, social and emotional abilities. Concussions can be mild or moderate, and require time and rest to heal properly.
Gillette’s Center for Pediatric Rehabilitation specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries ranging from mild to severe. Brain injury patients require comprehensive medical assessments to determine the severity and scope of their injuries. If an injury affects daily activities, patients may need the expertise of Gillette’s physicians, certified nurse practitioners, rehabilitation therapists and neuropsychologists. Working together, our team of pediatric brain injury experts can accurately identify and address each patient’s needs.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
Children and teens who have sustained a concussion, whether through sports or other trauma, might experience:
Immediate Symptoms
- Disorientation, temporary confusion or a “dazed” feeling
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Amnesia around the time of injury
- Uncoordinated hand-eye movements
- Unconsciousness
Post-Concussion Symptoms
Sometimes, symptoms of a concussion don’t appear until hours or days after injury. Warning signs may include chronic headaches, fatigue, sleep difficulties, personality change, sensitivity to light or noise, dizziness when standing quickly, and deficits in short-term memory, problem solving and general academic functioning. Children and teens should be seen by a healthcare provider as soon as symptoms appear.
Concussion Management
Children and teens who sustain a concussion during sports or everyday activity should be properly evaluated by a healthcare provider with experience diagnosing and treating traumatic brain injuries. Treatment varies depending upon the extent of injury, and may include:
- Physical rest
- Cognitive rest (child limits scholastic activity and activities such as computer use and text messaging)
- Medicine to manage specific symptoms
Parents should also consider testing through ImPACT to compare post-injury neurocognitive function with a baseline (pre-injury) score. A user-friendly injury documentation test, ImPACT provides specific information on the severity of injury and a standard for evaluating recovery. Learn more about ImPACT testing.
