Traumatic brain injuries affect a person’s cognitive, physical, and emotional aspects, depending on what area(s) of the brain were affected.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury that Affects Cognitive Brain Functioning
- slowed ability to process information
- short term memory loss and/or long term memory loss
- spatial disorientation
- organizational problems and impaired judgment
- trouble concentrating or paying attention for periods of time
- difficulty keeping up with a conversation; other communication difficulties such as word finding problems
- unable to do more than one thing at a time
Physical Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
- pain
- seizures of all types
- muscle spasticity
- headaches or migraines
- double vision or low vision, even blindness
- balance problems
- loss of smell or taste
- speech impairments such as slow or slurred speech
- fatigue, increased need for sleep
Emotional Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
- a lack of initiating activities, or once started, difficulty in completing tasks without reminders
- increased anxiety
- impulsive behavior
- depression and mood swings
- denial of deficits
- more easily agitated
- egocentric behaviors – difficulty seeing how behaviors can affect others