The effects of a brain injury can be wide ranging and depend on factors such as the type, location and severity of the injury.
Every person’s injury is unique, and they may experience any number of the symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.
Changes to Perception, Memory, Judgement or Reasoning
Communication problems after brain injury are very common. Although most of us take it for granted, the ability to communicate (both speaking and understanding speech) uses many different parts of the brain and very complex interactions within the brain.
Emotional and behavioural changes
• Agitation
• Explosive anger and irritability
• Lack of awareness and insight (a lack of understanding of other people’s actions or feelings)
• Impulsiveness and dis-inhibition (difficulty in controlling urges and impulses, speak, act, show emotions and unexpected behaviour in social situations)
• Emotional instability (for example, over-reacting in some situations)
• Self-centredness
• Apathy and poor motivation
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Inflexibility and obsessive behaviours
• Sexual problems
Changes in “Executive” functions after brain injury
• Planning and organisation
• Flexible thinking ( being able to alter ones behaviour)
• Multi-tasking
• Solving unusual problems
• Self-awareness
• Learning rules
• Making decisions
• Using appropriate behaviour and holding back inappropriate behaviour, particularly in social situations
• Controlling emotions
• Concentrating and taking in information
“Executive dysfunction” is the clinical term that refers to disruption of some or all of the things listed above. This often occurs after injury to the frontal lobes of the brain (the forehead).
Physical effects of brain injury
• Problems with movement, balance and co-ordination
• Dyspraxia – the inability to plan and perform purposeful movements
• Loss of sensation (including vision, hearing, taste and smell)
• Tiredness (fatigue)
• Headaches
• Speaking and swallowing disorders – dysphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria etc.
• Bladder and bowel incontinence
• Epilepsy – abnormal electrical discharge in the brain which may involve seizures or fits