One common injury suffered in a car crash is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBIs can be serious, but they are not uncommon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019 there were over 220,000 TBI incidents that required hospitalization and over 64,000 TBI fatalities in 2020.
When a person suffers a head injury, the brain is able to reconfigure itself in response to the injury and even form new neural connections. This is referred to as brain plasticity. This can impact a brain injury victim’s recovery, as certain medical interventions and rehabilitation can increase brain plasticity.
Two forms of brain plasticity
There are two forms of brain plasticity. The first is structural plasticity. This is the manner in which the brain physically alters itself in response to learning. The second is functional plasticity. This is the manner in which the healthy areas of the brain take over tasks that the injured part of the brain used to do.
Brain plasticity can help heal TBIs
Brain plasticity can help heal TBIs. Advanced MRI techniques, such as functional MRIs, are assisting physicians in the treatment and understanding of these types of injuries by allowing physicians to see brain activity, including changes resulting from brain plasticity.
While predicting how well a person will recover from a TBI can be difficult, especially if the TBI is severe, it is good to know that our brains have the ability to heal and that with the right therapy and interventions we can increase brain plasticity.
If you are having trouble coping with medical expenses following a car crash TBI you may want to look into your options for compensation, including whether filing a lawsuit is right for you.