Illustration depicting neuroplasticity in the brain

Powerful Tools to Boost Neuroplasticity after TBI

How do you boost neuroplasticity after a traumatic brain injury?  What can you do to ensure that you make the best recovery possible? Neuroplasticity and the Long Haul Recovery from a traumatic brain injury can be a long and difficult journey. It that may take a number of years, even longer than the two year…

A crowd of Lego figures conveying the idea of millions of people suffering traumatic brain injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by the Millions: Amazing Stats

“Worldwide, more  than 50 million people have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, and it is estimated that about half the world’s population will have one or more TBIs over their lifetime.”  The Lancet Neurology More than 80% of these brain injuries occur in the developing world.  It costs an an estimated $US 400…

Image of a CT brain scan showing the kind of damage that influences recovery after TBI

Neuroscience Myths: Recovery After TBI Plateaus At Two Years

One of the myths in the neurosciences is that recovery after TBI (traumatic brain injury) plateaus two years after the injury. When discussing recovery from TBI, myths and legends abound. We tend to lose sight of basic neuroscientific principles. Clinicians tell families that recovery after TBI stops after two years. In legal matters, opinion can…

Image depicting lungs. Caution is needed with oxygenation after brain injury.

The Magic and Curse of Oxygenation After Brain Injury

Oxygenation as Treatment for Brain Injury Should we treat brain injury patients with oxygenation? It seems an almost silly question. Surely it’s that obvious that we should! Yet when we investigate the utility of pumping large amounts of oxygen into an injured brain, it turns out that the answer is not that simple. A quick…

diffusion tensor imaging

The Amazing Beauty And Power Of Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Aren’t these amazingly beautiful images of the brain? Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) created these brain scans. You’d think that the colours were added by a creative artist, but actually they are a code that tells us about the direction of fluid flow in the fibre tracts of the brain.  A DTI scan can therefore be…

A handgun, a popular choice for inflicting interpersonal violence in South Africa

Interpersonal Violence: An Unparalleled Horror In South Africa

In South Africa the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is interpersonal violence, whereas in most countries motor vehicle accidents are the primary cause of TBI.  A recently published study into TBI admissions at two state hospitals in the city of Pietermaritzburg found that 39.4% of cases were due to deliberate interpersonal violence, as…