Anoxic Brain Injuries & Traumatic Brain Injuries

Head injuries can result in various different sorts of brain injuries to the victim. Many of these cases may result in a traumatic brain injury which results in adverse damage to the brain itself. Another sort of brain injury that can occur in some situations is what is known as an anoxic brain injury. These types of brain injuries prevent oxygen from making its way to the brain. This is caused by a cessation in breathing or blood flow. Also, toxins could hinder the oxygen flow to the brain. When the brain does not receive oxygen, brain cells die off. Depending upon how long the brain goes without oxygen is a major factor in determining the severity of the injury associated with the anoxic brain injury. Generally, after four minutes of not receiving any oxygen, the brain cells will commence to die. If another minute elapse making the total time without oxygen 5 minutes, then irreversible injury can occur for the person.

Anoxic brain injuries are different than traumatic brain injuries. With a TBI, the brain injuries results from a blow to the skull. Anoxic brain injuries are acquired and lead to alterations of the neurons in the brain. This causes various levels of impairment for the person. The ramifications of an anoxic brain injury can be greater than a TBI. This is due to the fact that a loss of oxygen in an anoxic brain injury affects the entire brain whereas a TBI typically will affect the part of the brain where the blow was sustained.

When a person sustains an anoxic brain injuries, there are some symptoms one can observe. While many of these can also be present in a traumatic brain injury, the symptoms are usually more pronounced if the brain injury is anoxic. The person may lose consciousness for a short time or perhaps a longer time where they may be in a coma. They may also being have seizures. When someone sustains an anoxic brain injury they may also change their behavior. They could become easily angered, be depressed or anxious. An anoxic brain injured person may also have some problems with their motor control. These faculties may be impaired significantly. They could become easily angered, be depressed or anxious.


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A person with an anoxic brain injury may also have some problems with their motor control. The extent to which problems impair daily life can be greatly reduced following extensive brain injury rehabilitation programmes, now widely available...